In His and Her heart Prequel to-What I go to School for
by Caitlin Jackson
Summary: (( Features Shane Doyle as a new father)) It's time for them to build a family. Jasmine has left school and despite her past, she is ready to start her family.


One

In his heart

Shane sat with his newborn Child, Maria as she was now called, in his arms. The Day had been so long and so full of tears, actually this was the day Shane had cried more than he ever had before. Maria was his now. Nothing. No-one could ever take her away. Despite the bad things he had done in the past, she was not one of them. As she moved in his arms Shane kissed her forehead softly. Beside him was his more than tired girlfriend. The mother of the new almost heavenly like angel.

The ward was now quiet. Nurses, Doctors and visitors were winding down for the day. Shane had fallen asleep with his head on the bed beside Jasmine's legs. Jasmine turned over in her sleep, waking him. He opened his eyes slowly, before yawning and stretching. He then looked at Jasmine and sighed. He then stood up and pulled the blanket over her. Shane walked over to the window across the room and looked down at the cars moving below. The windowsill was wider than he thought, despite that he still leaned on it, noticing the darkness drawing in.

"Shane." Came a voice from across the room. Shane turned around and walked over to her, "Hello sleepy head." He smiled, sitting beside her.

Jasmine smiled rubbing her eyes, "How is she?"

"Maria? Oh she is well. Very tired." He said, taking her hand.

"She takes after me." She smiled slightly and yawned.

"You've done very well today and I'm proud of the pair of you." He said and kissed her.

Jasmine smiled and kept hold of his hand. Shane then cleared his throat before getting on his knee. Jasmine's eyes widened with surprise, however what Shane was doing, he thought was right.

In his heart he knew it was right.

Shane placed a cup of tea onto the coffee table whilst holding his three year old daughter in his arm. He sat down slowly and looked at his wife who was sat across from him. Jasmine was just staring at the TV screen with her hand on her cheek, ignoring her husband. The day had just gone from bad to worse all day and Shane had only just caught onto why she had been acting the way she had.

"That time of the month is it?" Shane asked her.

"Shut up Shane." Jasmine replied quietly. She didn't look at him, she just carried on staring at the screen.

"Look what I did earlier- I was out of order."

"You-" She stopped knowing that Maria was there, "You make me sick." She sneered.

Shane swallowed hard but he had the understanding of what he had done wrong. He moved his hand over slowly to her thigh. Jasmine pulled away quickly and finally looked at him, glaring.

"Jasmine." Shane laughed slightly.

"Bedtime Maria, come on." Jasmine sighed and stood up. Maria looked up at her in disappointment and looked at her dad who was right next to her, "Daddy do I have to?"

"Yes you do Maria so do as you are told!" Jasmine snapped.

"There is no need to talk to her like that." Shane sighed.

"Don't you dare speak to me about how to look after her. You wouldn't even know the first thing about it!" Jasmine hissed in return, "Maria bed now!" Jasmine shouted.

"You are being out of order now." Shane sneered as Maria ran upstairs crying.

"Me out of order?" Jasmine laughed sarcastically, "You should wake up and smell the coffee Shane. She isn't even yours!"

Shane's heart dropped dramatically in his chest and he didn't know what to think. He stood up and towered over Jasmine, "If that is your sick attempt at getting back at me well done! I was about to tell you that I lied earlier. I was in a wind up mood, I didn't think you would take it that far."

"You what?" Jasmine gasped.

"So what is this about Maria?"

Jasmine swallowed hard, "It was a joke...to get back at you."

"Really? I don't think it was." Shane sneered, "I want the truth HERE AND NOW JASMINE!"

"Her dad...Oh my god Shane." Jasmine gasped holding back tears, "I'm so sorry."

Shane felt anger and upset filling in his chest, "Are you saying what I think you are?"

Jasmine nodded slowly but had no idea how much this was hurting Shane inside.

"Fine. You called the station on a night time to see if I actually was doing night shifts. I did a few, they would have told you. On the nights that I wasn't, I was working in a pizza place taking deliveries door to door...I was working to provide for my 'daughter'." Shane replied calmly, however Jasmine saw that all he wanted to do was to scream and shout.

"Shane...If I could make it right-"

"HOW!? JASMINE YOU HAVE JUST MESSED UP BIG TIME!" Shane shouted, "I love you. Doesn't that account towards anything? Oh yeah it's fine for you to go off with another bloke, but when it's me you scream and shout at me."

"I know and I'm so so sorry." Jasmine gasped as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I LOVE YOU TO BITS AND I SWORE NEVER TO CHEAT ON YOU WHILST BEING MARRIED AND I KEPT MY PROMISE! AND YOU LED ME ON!"

"It was nothing like that I swear." Jasmine gasped, grabbing his arm.

Shane got in her face and growled, "Then why let me believe that she was mine?"

"Because...You were so happy when I gave birth to her I just- I didn't want to break your heart."

"AND YOU THINK IT DOESN'T HURT NOW!? Who is her dad?"

"Does it matter?"

"YES JASMINE AS A MATTER OF FACT IT DOES!"

"Shane-Her dad well...Her dad is..."

"Oh just save it will ya?!" He snapped before holding her arm tightly, "This is three lives you've ruined. Maria's, mine and your own. Now I'm going into town tomorrow. I will go and get a soliscitor and when I do, I will be divorcing you."

"No Shane. Please we can work it out!"

"Yeah actually." Shane snarled. Jasmine looked into his eyes and saw how deeply this was hurting him. She saw the anger and the pain it was causing him.

"What?" Jasmine gasped.

"We will work it out." He snarled, "But because Maria isn't mine...I still treat her as my own..."

"Yeah..."

"Divorce is too expensive anyway." He then poured himself some whisky and sat down, "Go on then. Sort out your daughter." He sneered.

Jasmine stared at him for a moment before she went upstairs.

"Good girl. You're in bed." Jasmine smiled slightly as she saw Maria in bed, "I will tuck you in." Jasmine then walked over to her and tucked her in.

"Why were you and daddy shouting?" Maria asked quietly.

"Me and daddy...We just had something we didn't agree on thats all." Jasmine sighed, kissing her cheek.

"Will daddy read me a story?"

"Not tonight baby." Jasmine sighed, sitting beside her, "I'm sorry for shouting at you. Mummy just got a bit angry thats all."

"It's okay mummy." She sighed.

"It isn't." Jasmine sighed and looked down at her, "There is something that I need to tell you."

"What is it mummy?"

Jasmine sighed and went quiet and Maria sensed something was wrong, "Mummy?"

"Tell her Jasmine. Go on. It seems you have the courage to break your three year old daughters heart. Your tore mine out...Just tell her. She will find out one day." Shane said coming in the door.

"Mummy?" Maria asked.

Jasmine stayed quiet, realising what a mistake she had made. Why did she ever cheat on him? Shane loved her so much and was always there for her, Shane felt beyond betrayed. He didn't understand where he went wrong which is why it tore him apart.

"Maria I'm- I'm not...I'm not your daddy." Shane said eventually.

"What?" Maria said quietly.

"It seems your mummy told a really big fib."

Maria looked at Jasmine, "Are you my mummy?"

"Yes baby, yes I am." Jasmine said quickly, "It's just your daddy who isn't your daddy."

"Will he stay?"

Jasmine looked up at Shane slowly.

Shane then looked at Maria, "No...I'm not going to stay. I'm so sorry but remember, this wasn't your fault."

"Daddy." Maria gasped.

Shane sighed and kissed her cheek, "Goodbye baby."

Jasmine looked up at him, "What happened to us figuring it out?"

"You brought this on yourself. I loved you to bits..." He hissed. He then walked out, shutting the door behind himself.

Jasmine swallowed hard and hugged Maria tightly as she sobbed into her arms.

13 years later...

"Alright Georgina...Yeah I know, mental." Maria spoke on her phone, walking through the park to one of her mates from school, "No. Mum told me that I had to be in by ten. I am as gutted as you, but you should know mum well enough now. Right speak to you tomorrow. Bye." Maria finished her conversation and put her phone back into her pocket, not watching where she was going.

She walked into the middle of the road unaware of the oncoming car.

"Watch yourself." A male voice gasped, pulling Maria onto the curb.

"Oh thanks." Maria gasped, "Saved my life."

"Well just be more careful in the future."He told her.

"I owe you one. um...Do you fancy coming for a coffee or something?" Maria smiled.

"I'd love to but wouldn't your parents be concerned about you?"

"I can just text mum, she won't mind."

"Did she ever warn you about strangers?" He asked, putting his hands into his pockets.

"Yes." She shrugged, "Ever since my dad left."

"Oh I'm sorry." The blonde man replied.

"No, no it is fine. He left when I was three years old. Anyway...Coffee?"

Shane went quiet for a moment having a flashback of when he left his own daughter all those years ago and seemed to forget that Maria was there. Shane didn't even know that the girl in front of him was his daughter.

"Maria." He muttered staring at the floor.

Maria frowned, "How do you know my name?"

"No, it's just...Like your dad...I left my daughter when she was three years old..." A smile slowly appeared on his face, "I named her after-"

"Blondie by any chance?" Maria laughed.

"Yeah." Shane smiled, "Your dad a fan too?"

"Is your name Shane?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Maria's face went blank for a moment, "Sounds mad but...I think your my dad...My mum's name...It's Jasmine Thomas."

Shane automatically went quiet. He was full of emotion. He didn't actually know what to make of his daughter, who was now grown up, "Did she- did she tell you why I left?"

"She cheated on you...Dad...I have hated her for a while for you going away." Maria replied, sitting beside him on the bench.

"I'm back now though eh?" He smiled.

"You certainly came back into my life with a bang. You saved my life." Maria smiled, "Thank you. Oh and if its any problem, I absolutely love Blondie."

"That's no problem at all." He smiled, "I should take you to a concert."

"I would love that." She smiled as her phone rang, "Guess who." She said to Shane.

"Don't tell her I'm here. Please. I want to surprise her."

" Okay." She smiled.

"Mum. I'm on my way back now. No. Nina just wanted me to walk her home. I'm three streets away...Alright, see you in ten." Maria then put her phone back into her pocket and turned to her dad, "Right. Home then?"

"Yep." He smiled, standing up.

"It's four. Maria, you are late home tonight." Jasmine said to her as she walked in. Jasmine was stood holding the iron out, getting ready to iron clothes. She then looked up and her jaw dropped.

"What the hell is he doing here?" She hissed at Maria.

"He saved my life. I almost got run over."

"Well you should watch where you are going then!" Jasmine snapped, "Just go to your room Maria."

"Just promise me you won't get rid of him." Maria replied, taking her fathers hand. Shane looked down and swallowed thickly. He slowly looked up at Jasmine waiting for a response.

"Alright okay. I promise. Please go to your room whilst we talk." Jasmine sighed.

Maria smiled sadly at her before she kissed Shane's cheek, "See you in a bit dad."

"See you." Shane said quietly. He then watched Maria go upstairs before returning his glance to Jasmine.

"What right do you think you have here?" Jasmine said to Shane.

"I saved our daughters life and that is all you can say?" He replied in a darker tone.

"Alright. Thanks for looking out for her. We don't need you now. We are fine without you." Jasmine replied making her way to the kitchen.

Shane followed her, "I hears he is a fan of Blondie."

"Yeah. Massive. She has driven me mad with it for the past eight bloody years! I wanted to forget about you but she is stupid enough to carry everything on. I tried Gwen Stefani. I tried Abba. I tried everything just to make her forget all about you!"

"Now thats out of order. She has the right to know I exist!" Shane snapped, horrified with what he was hearing.

"Yeah. When she got to eighteen I was going to tell her that you were dead."

"Thats sick!"

"Yeah. Like the lie you told me all those years ago!"

"At least that isn't as bad as you cheating on me! What made it worse is that you made me believe she wasn't mine. SHE STILL THINKS I AM HER REAL DAD!"

"Keeping the dream alive I suppose." Jasmine shrugged folding clothes up.

"Hang on. You just said that you were trying to make her forget all about me. By now she wouldn't know anything about me-"

"She found photo's that I didn't even know existed on my laptop when she was fifteen. She didn't have a dad because her real one is dead."

"So you just carried it on." He growled, "How long do you think it will be before she realises that you are a scheming low life cow?"

"Says the man who lied about murdering someone!" Jasmine snapped. She then felt Shane's breath on her neck and shuddered.

"I would never ever hurt you or her."

"That's why I knew you would be back. You loved her too much to just let her go." Jasmine replied turning to face him. Jasmine saw the guilt in his face, "I'm right aren't I? Shane. You don't get it do you? I'm telling you. Be her dad. She deserves that much. Please Shane."

Jasmine and Shane then stared at each other for what seemed an eternity before Shane put his hand lightly on Jasmine's cheek. Jasmine stared up at him with her chocolate brown eyes melting into his.

Jasmine then slowly leaned forward and Shane also engaged with kissing Jasmine in return. Passion was there and the pair knew it. Love was there like it was fourteen years ago and it felt brand new to them both.

"Mum Nina messaged me, she said- oh you two are busy...Right I will just leave you to it." Maria said to them, walking in on them by accident.

Jasmine smiled up at Shane and he smiled back. They both then looked at Maria.

"Oh Jasmine do you remember what Maria's favorite film used to be when she was little?" Shane smiled.

"What would that be then?" She smiled, "Frozen. She still watches it now. I have bought her five DVD's over all these years.

Maria stared feeling awkward not knowing what to say.

Shane smiled and looked down at Jasmine before starting to sing even though it was out of tune, just to make Maria feel even more awkward, "I know it's crazy but we finish each others-"

"Sandwiches." Jasmine interrupted, however she was in perfect tune.

"That's what I was gonna say." Shane smiled

"Oh God." Maria muttered, "They are singing from 'Frozen'"

Jasmine overheard her and smiled, "Maria we are only having a laugh."

"Yeah I know but its embarrasing."

"But for the first time in forever-" Jasmine sang.

"I'll be right here." Shane smiled.

Maria couldn't help but smile at the duo. She was happy that for the first time in forever, her family were finally back together. She walked over to Shane and hugged him and held him tightly, "I've missed you so much." She smiled.

"We are all back together now. I'm not going away again I can promise you that." Shane smiled.

Jasmine stood across the room and smiled at them and felt guilty for leaving it until now for Maria to see her dad as she saw him all those years ago, "Right. Well then queen Elsa are we going to watch Frozen?" Jasmine smiled.

Maria pulled away from Shane and smiled, "Yeah why not?"

"Wait Jasmine." Shane sighed and walked over to her before getting down on one knee, "Can I say something crazy?"

"Yeah." Jasmine smiled.

"Will you marry me?"

"Can I say something even crazier? Yes." She smiled.

Shane stood up and kissed her, not pulling back.

"Well I guess...Love really is an open door." Maria muttered to herself, watching as the pair fell in love once again.

Part 4...

After a while of watching Frozen it was time for Maria to call it a night and she did. After she sorted her school stuff out she went into the living room and saw her parents asleep on the sofa and decided to leave them alone. She turned the lamp off and put a blanket over them before going to bed herself.

7am

'Mamma Mia here I go again, my my, how can I resist ya?' Rang Maria's mobile alarm the next morning. She reached for it quickly before turning it off again and going back to sleep.

Five minutes later Shane walked in with a cup of tea and put it on her bedside table, which admittedly was usually Jasmine's job but today her dad did it, "Come on atomic woman. You only have one week left and then its the Christmas break."

"Never put atomic into a sentence unless it sounds right." She groaned.

"That's me been told." Shane smiled before heading to go out of the door.

"Dad can I talk to you?"

"Of course." He said raising his eyebrows as he got to the door with the landing light reflecting from his skin.

"It's a thing I don't want mum to hear..." She said quietly.

Shane then closed the door slowly and dimmed the light using the dimmer switch which was still in her room after all these years, "What is it?" He asked, sitting beside her.

"How do I tell you this when I don't know how you will react?" She said nervously.

"I'm your dad. I will love you no matter what. If you are having boy problems or even girl problems even though that admittedly isn't my area."

"It is girl problems except not how you may think." She replied just as nervously as before.

"Oh...Do you think you have certain feelings that you don't feel towards boys?"

She nodded slowly.

"Hey don't worry." He smiled reassuringly, "If you think you are that way I have no problem with it. How long have you felt like it, that is if you don't mind me asking."

"A few years. I tried to tell myself it was wrong and that I shouldn't but-"

"Hey listen to me. Don't ever beat yourself up like that. You can't help the way you feel towards some people. I'm just flattered that you told me and not your mum."

"What do I do? How do I tell people?"

" The best advice would be to do some research into it and tell people when you think that you are ready."

"And mum?"

"I can deal with her. Well done for telling me though. Do you feel better for it?"

"Loads." She smiled.

Shane then hugged her before pulling back, "Right you get ready for school and don't worry about anything." Shane then got up and left the room, closing the door behind himself.

11am.

Shane sat beside Jasmine holding a cup of tea in his hand whilst watching Jeremy Kyle on TV and he was thinking of how to tell her about his and Maria's conversation that morning, "Me and Maria had a conversation earlier."

"Well it's great to know that you and her are getting on." She smiled.

Now here was the thing. Breaking the ice, "About her sexuality." Shane said quietly.

" What are you on about? Shane she has had relationships with boys on and off, I'm surprised that is her thing."

"Maybe it isn't."

"What?"

Shane took a deep breath and cleared his throat, "Her relationships with boys may not of lasted because she had other things on her mind, other girls she had taken an interest in."

"I've heard it all now." She laughed sarcastically, "Maria has always been straight."

"She said she had been interested in girls for years and she was scared of telling you. She was terrified of telling me this morning."

"It won't last. It is a phase. Hormones."

"You told her all about me. You need to tell her about Debbie."

Jasmine turned and looked at him with a glare like daggers, "My daughter will never be a lesbian. I won't let it happen. Not ever."

"You're scared of what will happen to her if she does because of what happened with Debbie. It's clear."

"Debbie is dead."

"But she is on your conscious everytime you think of Maria if she turned out to be one."

"Shane drop it please." She replied as her phone rang, "Clara." She muttered.

"Jasmine don't speak. I have Maria in my office now."

"What has she done?" Jasmine muttered.

"She hasn't to an extent. She has told me that Shane is back and that she is...A um...Lesbian."

"You got a problem with them?" Maria snapped.

"Right that's it. I have had enough of this. I am coming to get her."

"YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO BE A LESBO! IT WILL JUST BE A STUPID PHASE MARIA!" Jasmine shouted at her as soon as they go home. Shane just sat at the kitchen table staring at his hands.

"What do you even have against lesbians? How do you know unless you try?" Maria replied quickly.

"I could easily say the same to you. You've had a string of boyfriends. Two of them got you pregnant! You aborted one and put the other up for adoption!"

"Well that is probably why I'm better off gay then!" Maria snapped. Jasmine then slapped her full pelt, enough to cause a red mark, "You ever turn into a dirty little slapper that does both men and woman on the streets just for the hell of it, you may as well pack a bag now and don't come back."

Maria stayed quiet and held back tears rubbing her cheek, however to her annoyance Shane said and did nothing.

"Just tell her Jasmine. Tell her what you are so afraid of and then say sorry to her." Shane said just a few minutes later.

"Why should I?"

"Because that is the only way you will save your daughter the pain of becoming what you said she would be and you the pain of regretting it years down the line." Shane replied turning around in his chair.

Jasmine swallowed hard and walked over to the table. She sat down slowly and Maria followed not long after.

Shane stay quiet whilst watching Jasmine about to try and piece her relationship with her daughter before it was too late.

Jasmine took a deep breath and slowly looked at Maria, "I'm really sorry for hitting you and saying all of that rubbish."

"Just get on with it." Maria replied, holding back tears.

Jasmine looked at Shane before she looked back at Maria, "Many years ago I had a girlfriend and...Lets just say a lot of stuff happened... Clara had a connection with her...Her name was Debbie. Me and her we fell out loads and so did her and Clara but there was this one day when Debbie's parents, well they came back to get her. Cut a long story short, Clara wouldn't let go of Debbie and Debbie wouldn't let go of her..."

Clara walked in from work, however not disturbing the conversation. She just stood in silence having mini flashbacks.

"...They had a mother, daughter connection and believe me it was clear enough. However things got too much for me downstairs so I...I went and coward away in my bedroom whilst Clara was fighting for Debbie and when I came down." Jasmine felt tears in her eyes and started shaking. Maria looked at her sympathetically and put her hands on top of her mothers. Jasmine pulled away slowly and looked up at Maria, "I came downstairs and there they were. Clara's hands were covered in blood and Debbie...Debbie was dead." Tears now fell down Jasmine's face and the emotion was effecting Maria too, but only because she hated seeing her mum cry, " It turns out that Clara was meant to stab Debbie's dad but he moved out of the way so the thing she used...It went straight through Debbie's heart. Maria this is what you need to understand. I am petrified of what will happen if you are that way inclined."

"But mum your story is different to mine. Yes it ended tragically but the worst mine could end is with a broken heart and then move on. Like you and dad. You found someone else to love." She smiled.

"If we are being all honest I'm so sorry Maria but what I'm about to tell you will hurt more than that slap I gave you."

Shane looked up quickly catching on, "Jasmine no. Please. I am begging you."

"She will find out one day. This probably won't change anything." She smiled cynically.

"And you and I both know it will change everything!" He hissed.

"What?" Maria asked, "I may as well know now."

Shane stared at Jasmine for a moment.

"I'm sorry Shane." Jasmine muttered before turning to Maria, "I...I'm very sorry, we both are but Shane...He isn't your biological dad.

These words hit Maria really hard. She went really quiet and wouldn't say anything. She was that hurt. Shane could see how much it was hurting her too. It hurt him just as much as it hurt Maria. He then stood up and walked over to her and crouched down, "I know how much this is hurting you. You know what happened all those years ago. This is how much it hurt me too. Maria look at me please."

She didn't. She seemed to ignore everything, although she could hear everything. She just wanted to cry. Her whole world had just been reshaped and rearranged. She felt the tears in her eyes and slowly looked down at Shane.

Shane sighed and hugged her, "I'm so so sorry." He gasped, kissing the top of her head, "This doesn't mean that I'm going anywhere though because I'm not. I'm right here for you."

Maria decided she couldn't keep it in any longer. Her emotions just kept eating away at her, so she just decided to let it all go. She broke down in tears into his shoulder and he kept a hold of her.

Jasmine just sat and kept watching, and noticed when Shane looked at her, "Don't you dare tell me that I have no idea what it feels like to have my heart broken like this because I do Shane. Believe me I do." She said, holding back tears.

After a while Shane and Maria just sat together on the sofa. Maria was asleep on his chest and he was sat in complete silence. Jasmine sat down across the room and sighed, "She needed to know."

"Maybe not find out the way that she did." Shane replied with sadness in his voice. Shane didn't even look at her and he was fighting back tears. His eyes were red and he didn't even look at Jasmine when he spoke to her.

"Shane I'm sorry." Jasmine sighed.

"We're going to get married. Except now, she knows that I'm not her real dad. Do you understand what damage you could've caused?" He growled, finally looking at her.

Jasmine swallowed hard and stared at Maria who was still asleep on Shane's chest.

Clara brought three cups of tea in and sat beside Jasmine. After hearing the conversation earlier she had felt guilty ever since.

Three different coloured cups were placed on the coffee table with steam bellowing from them. Red, blue and yellow. Clara had chosen them because she just liked the colour considering her sister adored the colour purple.

"She is right Shane. She had to find out sooner or later." Clara sighed.

"Her mother got into a bloody argument with her! She should never have found out that way." Shane snapped. He then looked down at Maria, feeling her moving, "Do you have any idea what is going on in our heads? She has found out that I'm not her dad. I've known for years that I'm not her dad. It has killed me!"

Clara sighed and looked at the floor.

"I haven't had any other woman Jasmine. Ever since I left you. I have never had another woman in my life...I just..I just don't understand why you cheated on me...I don't understand why you let me believe that she was mine for three years."

"I told you. I felt guilty." Jasmine replied quietly, " But now you are the only dad she has."

"No." He hissed.

"Shane."

" I'm only doing to you what you've done to me."

"Yes and if you do, it will effect her too. How's that fair?"

Shane slowly moved Maria off of him and stood up. He then looked down at Maria and sighed, "There is one thing I've learned through all of this. She's sixteen. A big fan of Blondie." He laughed slightly, "She is too much like me and...She's not even mine!"

Jasmine stood up, "Shane please for her sake stay."

"What would be the point?"

"I love you Shane."

"I really wish that were true." He sighed and walked off.

" Shane!" Jasmine gasped and followed him to the front door, "We can make this work."

"Even after everything! I thought we could work. I was convinced!"

"You are going to break her heart!"

"You broke mine years ago!" He snarled, getting in her face. He then walked off, slamming the door behind him.

Jasmine stood in silence stunned. She held back tears wondering how to tell Maria that her dad was gone again.

"He's gone." Jasmine gasped walking into the living room.

Clara looked up at her, holding her cup of tea, "Do you think he'll be back again?"

"I really don't know." She sighed, "Christmas next week and all she wanted this year was her dad. He was the closest and now he's gone. What do I tell her?"

"The truth." Clara said arrogantly.

"How do I tell her when it will hurt her?"

"It will hurt her even more when she finds out that you lied to her. Again."

Jasmine swallowed hard learned the truth, "We told her when she was three, she must've forgotten."

"Jasmine. Jasmine. She is sixteen. All she has ever wanted is the truth. Her dad. A male figure to look up to. Wake her up. Make her go after him. She can make you two work."

"Those days are well past me now. I can't sustain a relationship. Not with him."

"Get over yourself." Clara laughed, "You two love each other to the moon and back. Ever since you and him split, you two have had no one else because you love each other too much. Go after him and renew your vows."

"No. I can do better than him."

Clara sighed, "Maria can't."

"She can. She will."

Maria came out of her room later and sat in the living room feeling really tired. Jasmine was in the kitchen cooking tea and Clara was sat across the room. She was dreading what Maria would ask. She would want to know where Shane was. Clara didn't know and Jasmine would pretend that she didn't care at all.

"Feeling tired mrs?" Clara smiled as Maria sat down.

"Very." She yawned, "Where is dad?"

"Jasmine!" Clara shouted, "You sort this out. I will keep an eye on tea." She sneered as Jasmine came in.

"Well where is dad?" Maria snapped.

"Gone. He is gone and its for the best." Jasmine replied quickly, "He walked out on you. He doesn't love you as much as he claims clearly!"

"You drove him away." She said arrogantly.

"Believe what you like Maria because I really am past caring. About him."

"He saved my life!"

"And now he has walked out of it! Accept it. God Maria!"

Maria sighed and walked off, slamming the door.

"YOU'RE GROUNDED!" Jasmine shouted after her. Clara then walked in clapping sarcastically, "Well done Jasmine."

"She doesn't need him."

"No Jasmine! You both need him and he needs you two. You two are his family. The sooner you realise that, the better." Clara snapped. She then walked off and went to Maria's room.

"Stupid cow." Maria muttered, looking up at her Sherlock calendar.

"She is just thinking she knows best." Clara sighed, sitting on her bed.

"Auntie Clara." She said quietly. Maria only called Clara, auntie when there was a problem and to be fair, Maria had a lot on her plate at the moment and it was killing her.

"Maria." Clara sighed, "Come here."

"I just want a dad...What is wrong with that?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. You deserve a dad."

"Mum doesn't seem to think so." She sighed. Tears now started to fill her eyes and a lump formed in her throat, "I don't care that he isn't my biological dad. I love him. I really do."

"I know." Clara said quietly, "How good are your deducting skills?"

"Haven't used them in a while. Why?" She asked, turning around.

A smile crept its way onto Clara's face, "Shane still has the same phone."

"Ah...Oh..." Maria smiled, "This is why I love you. Thank you." Maria kissed Clara's forehead and sorted her collar out before leaving her bedroom.

Clara smiled and followed after her.

"You get back in your room now!" Jasmine snapped at Maria. Maria ignored her and walked out.

"She wants her dad. She will find him." Clara smiled, putting her coat on.

"No. You dare go after her, I will disown you." Jasmine snapped.

"Do it then. I will help my niece. I don't care what you want Jasmine. She deserves to be happy." She said before following after Maria.

"YOU AREN'T MY SISTER NO MORE!" Jasmine shouted before slamming the door.

Part 5... The art of deduction

"So same phone then?" Maria asked Clara, walking down the stairs of the flat.

"Yep. Same Nokia from 13 years ago, so what do you think that means?" Clara asked sorting her red scarf on her neck.

"As he has been saying. He hasn't been able to move on and neither has she. Same phone and the clothes. His sense of style has not changed and it never will."

"Which means?" Clara smiled getting giddy. She had always missed this part of Maria. Ever since Maria had started watching Sherlock, even to it's last series, she learned how to deduct things. Clara had took more notice in it than Jasmine did, because she was really clever and Clara admired it. Maria stopped trying to be like Sherlock when she was eight years old and even though it saddened Clara at the time, now she was seeing it again, she remembered how happy it made Maria feel happy when she was right.

"Do you remember Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat?" Maria asked as they carried on walking down the street.

"They were the people who wrote Sherlock aren't they?" Clara smiled.

"Yeah. I've always wondered what made them stop and not even my deducting skills can help with that." Maria sighed.

"Maybe you could write to them."

"Maybe I could."

"Yeah? I remember when you were little. You picked it up so quickly." Clara smiled.

"Mum never took any interest though. She pretended. You never did though. You were always generally pleased like you are now." She then just stared at Clara for a moment, stopping for what seemed to be no reason.

"Maria what is it?" Clara asked. She could see that she was thinking, she just worried what about.

"Why do I let emotions get in the way. It makes me miss the obvious."

"Like what?"

"Mum and Shane...He lied. He lied about a murder he didn't commit but then later he said he was delivering pizza's. Why make a lie that big and then turn it into a small lie that he could have said in the first place?"

Clara shrugged.

"Maybe he was having an affair at the time but murdered her and tried to hide the evidence."

"Don't be so absurd." Clara snapped.

"It could be right or maybe-"

"Or maybe he panicked when Jasmine thought that he was having an affair and decided to make a really big lie to hide the truth. Maybe he didn't want her to know about him doing extra work and overdoing it." Clara sighed, "Shane is a good man and you know he has always been."

"Not always."

"Sorry?"

Maria walked off and Clara caught up with her in an alley way. ' Pizza and flavour' read a sign. Maria stood against the wall having a flashback of when she saw Shane strangling her mum all of those years ago. "We are just playing." Maria said in a voice that was trembling with emotion and fear.

Clara looked at her empathetically and sighed, "You remember that don't you? After all these years."

"How do you know? You weren't even there!" Maria snapped and looked at her.

"No I wasn't but Jasmine told me."

"It isn't the sort of thing someone just forgets." Maria snapped, "Hang on. Why are you so convinced he is a good man when you knew about this?"

"Because it was one silly mistake he made and you stopped him. Just by being there, you stopped him killing Jasmine and ever since that day he has lived with regret."

"So now instead of finding love, he lives in isolation and comes back to Jasmine every now and then. "

"I don't- I don't know."

"OF COURSE YOU WOULDN'T! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND LOVE BECAUSE IF YOU DID YOU WOULD HAVE A FAMILY BY NOW!"

"Oh, Oh thanks. Maria I'm trying to help you find a stupid idiot and this is how you treat me!? You may think you're Sherlock. Some days you're good at it and some days...Some days you just-" Clara gasped, holding back tears. She knew exactly why she wouldn't find love and it all had something to do with the day Debbie died, "You wanted help from me...I'm not your John Watson. I'm your auntie. And I don't want to help you anymore. You think you're Sherlock. Figure it out yourself."

Maria stood in silence and stared at Clara and she knew that she went too far. She just couldn't say sorry.

Just as Clara was walking away, she turned back around to Maria with tears in her eyes and said to her, "Before I leave you to figure your case out Miss Holmes, figure this case out." Clara then walked back over to Maria and stood right in front of her and because of her height, she looked up at Maria and said, "Figure out why after all this time I've had no one to love. I won't go until you've figured it out."

Maria swallowed hard and stared at the fences down the road, not plucking up the courage to look at Clara.

"You just can't do it can you?" Clara said quietly.

"Not when I'm under pressure, no."

"FOR GOD SAKE MARIA! WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE! SHERLOCK ISN'T REAL! HE IS FICTIONAL! You can never be him."

Maria swallowed hard but figured things out piece by piece, "It runs through our family doesn't it? Heartbreak? Of course it does. You and mum were both heartbroken over the loss of Debbie. Nevermind that, you killed her so. You are just like Shane and mum. You can love someone but when it comes down to it, you're just too afraid to love because of what might happen. You are both too scared to love because what if a tragedy like that happens again?"

"You got that all in one." Clara sighed before she slapped Maria full on.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?"

"Don't you dare say that I don't understand love again because I do! Like I say. For your second case...You're on your own." Clara said to her before walking away.

"Clara!" Maria gasped, holding back tears.

Clara ignored her and carried on walking as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Part 6... Dad

"Get up now." Jasmine said walking into Maria's room the next day with a cup of coffee.

"Leave me alone!" She moaned.

"Listen, I know what you said to my sister last night. You cruel and spiteful little girl."

"You dissing my sexuality?"

"No. You're grounded and you have school. Get up."

"She slapped me!"

"Did you find your 'Dad'?"

"I couldn't find anything." She sighed, "I won't stop trying though."

She didn't she got to school, she wrote down possible links as to where her 'dad' might be staying, however when she got caught, she had got sent to Clara's office. One place she really didn't want to be.

"Twice. In two days." Clara sighed, looking at what Maria had been scribbling down throughout the last three lessons. Maria sat fidgeting and twiddling her fingers, feeling awkward. She ran a hand through her hair and stay quiet. The silence didn't last forever as she noticed things that she wouldn't usually notice, "You're wearing a darker lipstick than yesterday and a tad bit more make up...Your attitude and body language has changed, not just around me but everyone apart from your sister."

"Oh Maria, I've had enough of this." Clara sighed, "Stop being clever it doesn't suit you."

"Neither do those tights. You never wear tights. Who are you trying to fool? Everyone or yourself?" Maria retorted.

"Wait until I tell your mum."

"Have you found someone?"

"No. No. Look. I don't regret slapping you last night and to be honest, it felt good."

"Debbie Dingle...Lover, friend...Partner."

"She was just a student who Jasmine fell in love with- do you want to find Shane or not?" Clara snapped, getting very wound up now.

"Sorry. I really am sorry. Yes I'd like to find him. My...My dad."

"He forever will be to you won't he?" She asked softly.

"I just want him in my life and for mum to be happy again."

Clara sighed and looked up when there was a knock on her door, "Come in!" She called.

"Miss Oswald. Someone is here to see- Maria? Twice in two days." The teacher at the door gasped.

"Yes Miss Trevor, what were you saying?" Clara asked.

"Yes um, someone is here to see the pair of you."

"Who?" Clara frowned.

"A Mr Shane Doyle."

Maria and Clara stared at each other blankly for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"Um yes, please send him through."Clara gasped after a moment. Maria stared at her and swallowed hard.

"Maria." Shane said sternly as he entered. He held his head up as if he was proud but he really wasn't.

"Dad!" Maria gasped cracking a smile, however Shane never did. Instead he just walked over to Clara's desk and sat down.

"What can I do for you?" Clara asked him, clearing her throat. Shane put his hands together and for a brief moment he looked at Maria before he looked back at Clara, "I um would like to apologise for the way I left the other day. I shouldn't have left the way of which I did."

"Apology accepted." Clara said sternly. She knew that he wasn't there to cause trouble. She knew that he'd never want that in front of someone he wanted to be his daughter, "May I ask as to why you are here? Would you like Maria to be here if we are to discuss confidential matters?"

"Anything you have to say, you can say in front of me." Maria snapped.

"Perhaps not all of it." Shane replied sternly, "Go back to class please."

"No. What if you leave again and I never hear from you!?"

"That won't happen, I promise you."

"I've had enough of your promises!"

"Maria! Back to class now please!" Clara snapped.

"No!"

"Maria just go back to class." Shane said, finally looking at her.

Maria stared at him for a moment before walking out, slamming the door.

Clara sighed and sat forward, "Sorry about her."

"Don't be. It's not her fault, I made her promises and I walked out." He sighed and took a deep breath before putting documents on her desk.

Clara stared at them, briefly scanning them and her jaw dropped slightly, "What are these?"

"I um...I'm applying for custody. Over Maria."

"Right." She said, sitting back, "Why are you discussing this with me? Have you discussed it with Jasmine?"

"Not as of yet. Because you are her sister, I wanted to discuss it with you first to see what you thought of it, instead of me having to fight with you."

"Shane." Clara sighed, "I would never fight with you. You are a good man and I think-I know that you'd be the most amazing dad to her but this...I want nothing to do with any of this."

"I told the biggest lie ever all those years ago. I strangled her because of it, I could've killed her but Maria was there and she stopped me."

"And you would never do it again."

"She could use that against me." He sighed running a hand through his hair.

"Shane...I can't, I'm sorry...She is my sister and you are a mate to me. I don't want to come between you." Clara sighed.

"The worst that will happen from all of this is that Maria will get taken from the pair of us. I've read up."

"Is it worth the risk?"

"I think so yes."

"Then go for it." She said sternly, "I'm not going against Jasmine. I know how much Maria wants you in her life. Go for it."

Shane sat in silence for a moment trying to comprehend what he was hearing, "Are you serious?"

"I don't want to see her heart broken anymore. Do what you have to do."

When she got home Clara dropped her keys on the worktop and came into the kitchen and saw Jasmine stood cooking. 'Ooh yes I wish it would rain down. Down on me, yes you know I wish it would rain, rain down on me now' Phil Collins sang on the radio.

Usually Jasmine would look up at Clara when she came in from work and acknowledge that she was there, but not today.

"You okay?" Clara asked, putting her bag down on the table.

"Maria called. Said she won't be home tonight and Shane came round. He told me he wants custody."

"Oh?"

"Don't Clara." She laughed sarcastically, "I know that he had been to see you first. He told me that you told him to go for it. Thanks for your support, really thanks."

"I only told him to go for it because you both have an equal chance of getting custody. I'm not coming between you two."

"Your bags are just through there."

"What?"

"I told you last night that I disowned you. I thought well I might give her a chance but today- you stabbed me in the back. Now you can leave."

"Jasmine-"

"Goodbye Clara." She said sternly.

Clara held back tears and went to her room. She looked at all the bags that were packed and sighed. She then walked backwards and saw Maria's bags were also packed and everything was taken down from the walls.

"I'm not fighting. Don't see the point. She will see him for who he is." Jasmine told Clara as she noticed where she was looking.

"No Jasmine! I'm not. I'm not doing this." Clara gasped and came back into the kitchen, "ALL SHE WANTS IS HER DAD!"

"AND ALL I WANT IS MY DAUGHTER AND A SISTER WHO CARES ABOUT ME!"

Clara pinned Jasmine into the wall, "Look at me Jasmine please just listen." She gasped holding back tears. Jasmine stopped struggling against her for a moment and just stared at her.

"I care about you and I always have done. Maria loves you, we all do and if you think that we don't then you are wrong. Shane loves you to bits."

Jasmine looked down at her, fighting back tears.

"Three letters, one word. Just one that Maria has always wanted to say and now she has the chance. Dad. You love him to bits. Maria was right. We have never been able to love because we have both been scared of what would happen, because of what happened to Debbie and you know I'm right."

Tears now streamed Jasmine's cheeks, "I'm too scared of losing her. Everything. Even-"

"Even what?"

Clara asked her calmly and looked away as she heard the door, "I'll be back in a minute." She sighed and went to the door.

Jasmine sighed and wiped her eyes. She then went into the knife and fork draw and picked up a knife, gathering her own courage. She then calmly went to the front door and as soon as Clara turned around she put the knife behind her back.

"You alright? Whats up?" Clara asked her.

"Nothing...Clara you were right. You can stay and so can Maria when she wants to." She smiled slightly, still holding the knife behind her back. She didn't have the guts to carry out what she wanted to do because it reminded her too much of what happened with Debbie.

"Good, good. Thank you." Clara smiled.

Jasmine walked back into the kitchen and put the knife down on the worktop and started to have a panic attack. Clara walked in and put her arm around her and reassured her that everything would be okay. That was until she saw the knife that she knew hardly ever got used, "Okay Jasmine just breathe yeah?" She gasped and put the knife back in the draw, "I know what you were going to do. You stopped yourself, sis it's okay." She sighed.

"No it isn't! I'm turning into them!" She gasped.

Clara sighed and helped her to the floor as she collapsed. For a while they just sat there and Jasmine went over everything she had been feeling and thinking and Clara understood both sides of their stories. Both hers and Shane's but she still insisted that she wasn't getting involved.

Part 7... False attractions

"Shane. Is that-?" A colleague said to him, sat in a police car on duty two days later. He was staring at two people kissing.

"Oh Ross get over yourself." He laughed, "It's just kids having fun. It's lunch time anyway."

"Should we move them on?" He asked, still staring.

"May as well." Shane replied before getting out of the car. He walked down the road and stopped when he was two metres away from them, " Alright you two, get back to school." He said interrupting them. The pair glared at him but walked off. Once they walked off, one of them turned around and shot him three times. Ross quickly got out of the car and called for back up.

"Alright thank you. Bye." Jasmine said on the house phone quietly. Maria was sat across the table, eating her lunch which consisted of a cheese salad sandwich and a packet of ready salted crisps.

"You alright sis?" Clara asked, looking up.

"No." She said quietly and sat down at the kitchen table. Her face was as white as a sheep and it worried both Clara and Maria.

"Who was on the phone?" Clara asked. Maria looked between them and finished sorting her crisps on her sandwich before putting both lids back on top.

"The hospital." She said, before looking at Maria.

"Mum?" Maria asked, getting worried, "What did they say?"

"Jasmine?" Clara gasped.

"It's your dad. He is in the intensive care unit."

"We have to go now."Maria gasped standing up.

"No. He has been put into a medically induced coma. He was shot on duty this morning and a bullet went into his skull. He is in a critical condition and survival is unlikely."

Maria felt her legs shaking, she felt really sick. She just felt really numb. She didn't ever want this to happen. She didn't want it to end here.

Clara stood up and quickly caught Maria as she fell. She knew this had hit the pair of them really hard. Jasmine just sat in silence at the kitchen table and looked at the engagement ring on her finger and a tear fell down her cheek as she thought about it.

"I suggest one of you go in at a time just for the first time." Clara said softly to the two girls as they waited in the waiting room, holding each others hands.

"Go on Maria." Jasmine said quietly.

"You sure?" Maria asked.

"I just need to do a bit more thinking but I'll be alright, I promise. Clara is there with you." She smiled slightly.

Maria sighed and kissed her forehead, "Love you."

"I love you too, now go on. See him."

Maria walked off with Clara slowly but didn't take her hand.

As soon as Maria got to the outside of Shane's room, she stopped walking.

"Maria?" Clara asked softly.

"I'm scared but I don't know what of." She gasped fighting back tears.

"He, it's okay." Clara said, nudging her arm slightly.

" Auntie." She said quietly.

Clara took her hand, "I'm here. Come on. You can do it."

Maria took a deep breath and went to push the door, but she hesitated. Clara stayed quiet and gave her the time she needed. Eventually Maria pushed the door and walked in.

Shane didn't appear the same. He had half of his hair shaved where they had to operate and had various wires and tubes stuck to him. For Maria it was too much. Tears just streamed down her cheeks as she slowly walked over to him. She wiped her face with her sleeve and slowly sat down.

"Do you want anything?" Clara asked her softly.

"I just want him to be okay." She said quietly, taking his right hand. She then kissed it lightly and pressed his hand to her forehead and tears just streamed down her cheeks, " Don't end it like this please. Dad I'm begging you." She said quietly.

Clara stared at the floor and realised just how bad situations were.

When Clara wentre to get Jasmine, she found that she wasn't in the waiting room. She sighed and went outside. Jasmine wasn't even there. Clara sighed and went back inside where Maria was asleep beside Shane.

6 months later...June...

Maria had had a rough few months. Shane was only just getting back on his feet. Maria took it hard when she found out that Shane had given Jasmine full custody over her. By now Jasmine and Shane had renewed their vows and when they did Shane was on crutches because he had also been shot in the knee. Jas and Shane were living apart even though they were together, they decided it was the best thing to do to avoid arguments about the past so it felt to Maria as though they were apart anyway and that Shane only came for the sex. All of this messed with Maria's head and it changed her attitude.

"I'm back to work next week. Can't wait to be back at work again." Shane smiled, sitting down with a cup of tea in his lap. Jasmine smiled and kissed his cheek, "You've missed it. I can tell."

"Why do you not live together?" Maria asked, not looking away from the TV.

"Not this again." Jasmine sighed, "We are giving each other time and space."

"You've had six months!" Maria snapped.

"Oi, don't talk to your mother like that." Shane sneered.

"Don't you want me? Is that why she has full custody?" Maria snapped.

"I gave your mum full custody because I didn't see the point in fighting. We're together. That's what you wanted and you sound so ungrateful." Shane replied before sipping from his cup.

"Whenever you come round to ours, the only thing I hear is you two doing it. The constant banging on my wall, it's disgusting!" Maria snapped.

"It's not all the time Maria." Jasmine sighed.

"You two are just-"

"Maria tell us what the problem is." Shane sighed.

Maria felt tears coming to her eyes and refused to look at them. Shane put his cup down and got his walking stick and limped over to her and knelt down, "Tell me. Come on, I know you can."

Maria swallowed hard and flinched as Shane stroked her cheek. She swallowed hard and slowly looked at him, "I just want you and mum to be together, I mean live together so then it doesn't feel as though you have separated. Please dad."

Shane looked at Jasmine for a moment and all she did was shrug. He then looked back at Maria, " This is something me and your mum need to discuss."

"You are married. Why should it matter? You are both messing with my head and it hurts!"

"Give us a month to decide."

"I won't wait that long."

Jasmine looked at Maria, "Stop attention seeking. Me and him aren't ever going to live together. End of."

Maria looked up at her and then looked at Shane. She saw the he was dissapointed.

"There is your answer." Shane said to her, "We can't live together. Me and your mum. It's not going to happen."

Maria swallowed hard and got up and walked out, slamming the door.

Shane stood up and got his walking stick and looked down at Jasmine, "This is messing with her head! THAT WASN'T FAIR!"

"WELL MAYBE WE WOULD LIVE TOGETHER IF SHE STOPPED CALLING ME A SLAG AND SLUT AND EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN!"

"Now you're making it up!" He growled.

"WHY DID WE RENEW OUR VOWS!? I've no idea why we did!" She shouted and went to the bathroom, slamming the door. She locked it and sat down on top of the toilet seat and tried to calm herself down.

A week later...

Clara had colleagues round for a party and Jasmine and Maria kept their distance from each other. Shane was on duty and came back an hour later when he wasn't.

Maria stood in the kitchen holding a glass of coke and stared at Jasmine as she stood making sandwiches. Maria had been in a mood all day. She was hating how the pair of her parents were always arguing and now it was getting in her mind, beyond a joke.

"What's the point in this?" Maria sneered, just staring at everyone who was at the party from the kitchen.

"It is to celebrate your auntie becoming a head teacher at your school."

"It's only a bloody promotion, whoopti do." Maria snapped.

"It's not a promotion and if you don't pack it in being a mardy cow, you will be grounded for a week."

"Ground me then." She snapped.

"Evening." Shane said happily and kissed Jasmine on the cheek. Maria looked away from them and had a disgusted look on her face.

"What's up with you?" Shane asked her.

"Nothing. Just carry on playing happy families, it won't last long. Never does." She replied before taking a long sip of her drink.

"Ignore her. She's been like it all evening and is starting to do my heading." She sighed.

Shane looked at Maria and noticed that she had a really big problem, "You need to pack it in. Me and your mum are trying to work everything out and you aren't making it any easier."

"Yeah and who's problem is that!?" Maria snapped.

"See what I mean." Jasmine muttered.

Shane sighed and looked at Maria for a moment before going into the living room.

"Hey you." Shane smiled as he greeted Clara, "Well done." He smiled, hugging her.

"Thanks." She smiled, "How was work?"

"It's great to be back. I've missed it." He smiled, "Maria is doing everyone's heading apparently."

"I'm leaving her to it. It's the best way at the moment, she's hormonal as well which doesn't help. Want a drink?"

"I'm fine thanks. I'm just concerned about her." He said, looking back in the kitchen.

"Shane. Don't worry. She is just very, very hormonal. She will be fine." She smiled.

Shane sighed and stared at her for a moment and put his hand on her cheek, "You're so beautiful."

"Shane." Clara sighed, "You are married to my sister. This, this can't happen."

Shane pulled his hand away, "You're right. Sorry."

Maria stood staring from the kitchen and her jealousy just grew just as much as her anger.

Clara stared at Shane before she kissed him full on, not pulling back. Shane kissed back and ran his hand through her hair and this topped Maria off. She pushed Jasmine out of the way and got a knife from the knife and fork draw and walked off in a rage.

Jasmine quickly got herself back up and went after her, "Shane!" She gasped.

Shane quickly pulled away from Clara and the pair soon caught attention of what was going on and Clara was the first to notice the knife, "Maria. Calm down!" She gasped.

"WHY DO YOU ALL KEEP MESSING ABOUT WITH MY HEAD!?"

"Maria just put the knife down." Shane gasped, "You start waving that around, people will start getting hurt."

"You can shut up an' all!" She snapped.

Shane sighed and looked at Jasmine.

"What has made you kick off now?" Jasmine asked her quietly.

"THEM!" She shouted, pointing at Clara and Shane, "Shane was going to- She told him no but then..."

"Then what?" Jasmine asked, "Maria? Tell me!"

"SHE KISSED HIM!"

Jasmine then looked at Clara and it eat away at her, however Jasmine had other problems to worry about, "Okay Maria, just put the knife down and we will sort it all out. Everything.." Jasmine said calmly to Maria, slowly moving closer to her.

"How mum?" She gasped holding back tears.

"Just give me the knife and everything will be okay."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes. I promise." She said quietly.

Maria gave the knife over slowly and as soon as Jasmine got a hold of it she threw it across the room and it hit the wall.

"You two need to start talking. Now." Jasmine demanded.

"It was my fault Jas, too many drinks. It was a mistake and it won't happen again." Clara replied.

"It'd better not." She snarled.

"There we go Maria. It was nothing more." Jasmine replied, turning to her, "Maria what are you doing?"

Maria looked up from her phone and glared at her, "I'm moving out."

"And where would you go?" She laughed.

"Nina's."

"You can't stay at your mate's house."

"SHE ISN'T A MATE! She's...She's my girlfriend."

Shane and Clara swallowed hard at this reply and even worse, it bothered Jasmine.

"You have a girlfriend?" She laughed.

"Problem?"

"This explains your problem. It isn't me or your dad-"

"He isn't my dad."

"Fine! Fine, just fine. Have it your own way." Jasmine laughed, "I'm not leaving him."

"He just kissed your sister!"

"You are being pathetic, stirring. Making it sound worse than what it was. It was a mistake that won't happen again."

"You are all pathetic. All I want is a family who actually cares."

" AND WE DO!"

"NO YOU DON'T!

"OH SO WHAT DO YOU WANT!? A PERFECT FAMILY!?"

"Yes!"

"There's no such thing. The sooner you realise that, the better." Jasmine sighed before walking past her, shoving her shoulder. As she walked past Maria she looked up at Shane, "You have her." She then looked between them, "I don't need you Shane. I've gone all these years without you. I still don't need you. I don't depend on you." She then looked at Clara, "Hope you two live happily. You might be able to have much more happiness than me. I wish you both luck. Something is telling me that you're going to need it." She sighed.

Clara looked at her sadly and swallowed thickly.

"Clara!" One of the guests gasped.

Clara looked up quickly and noticed Jasmine gasping for breath. She then heard something dropping to the floor and as soon as she did, Jasmine collapsed in her arms, "Sis look at me eh ? Jasmine talk to me." Clara gasped.

Maria stood behind Jasmine, holding back tears, "I didn't mean to, I-"

"Oh no." Shane gasped, "You stupid cow! Do you realise what you've just done!?"

Maria looked at him for one more moment before she ran off.

"No you don't." Shane gasped and chased after her. He ran down the stairs and tried to keep up with her.

"Just like Debbie." Jasmine gasped.

Clara put her hair behind her ear slowly, "Shut up. You're not dying."

"Should've seen this coming." She laughed slightly, "But you kissed my husband. Why Clara? Don't tell me it was a drunken mistake. Just tell me the truth. I deserve that."

Clara held back tears and sighed, "Because I love him. I do love him and I'm so sorry."

"Once I'm alright again Clara. I don't want anything to do with all of you. Maria, you or him. Understood?"

"Clearly." Clara said sadly.

"This only happened because of you and him."

"Oi, come here now!" Shane gasped. He eventually caught up with Maria and shoved her into a garage door and handcuffed her, "You are being arrested Maria. So let's do this properly. Maria you are under arrest for GBH and the attempted murder of Jasmine Thomas, you do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when question-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Maria shouted at him.

"Something which you may later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given as evidence, do you understand?" He gasped, trying to stop her struggling.

"Let go of me!"

Shane sighed and put her in the back of his police car. After he did, he collapsed against the garage door, struggling to breathe, "Back up. Back up request... and ambulance." Shane gasped, out of breath.

"DAD! DAD!" Maria gasped as he fell unconscious, "DAD!"

Part 8...Everybody's changing.

"Two in hospital and one in a cell." Clara sighed, talking to Nina on the phone later that night.

"What's wrong with Shane?"

"He just collapsed. I don't know why."

"So Maria then is she-"

"She is being interviewed and it looks like she is in it for the long haul." She sighed.

"Clara do you want company or something?"

"This was all my doing."

"To be fair Shane is quite-"

"Get off it." She laughed, " How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Two years older than Maria? Ooh you've much to learn." She laughed.

"Debbie."

"What did you just say?" She gasped.

"This, it happened to her. History is repeating itself and it is driving you up the wall. Maria told me before you ask."

Clara went quiet and put the phone down.

"Clara?" Nina asked.

Clara sat back down on the sofa and poured herself a drink of wine before her phone rang again. 'Unknown' read the phone. Clara sighed and picked it up, "Hello?" She said tiredly.

"Miss Oswald?"

"Yes that's me. May I ask who is speaking?" She said, sitting up.

"I'm nurse Valentine from the hospital." Spoke the male voice, "Jasmine's condition is critical and blood is fast flowing into her right lung because it is punctured."

"Will she be alright?"

"We will try and empty the lung but for now she is in a critical condition."

"And Shane?" She asked impatiently.

"He is stable and he is awake. His breathing is back to normal. However we have had to do more scanning."

"Why. What is the problem?"

" I cannot discuss much more."

"Right. Thanks." She sighed and putt he phone down.

"Everybody's changing and I don't know why." She muttered to herself.

"Maria Thomas Doyle you have been charged with the attempted murder of Jasmine Thomas. How do you plead?" A judge asked her. Maria was stood in court two weeks later. Jasmine and Shane were both sat across the room, except Shane had a walking stick between his legs that he had to use all the time.

Jasmine sat further away from Clara and Shane. She just looked on at her daughter. Jasmine felt as though she was at square one again with everything.

"How do you plead?"

"Not guilty." Maria said quickly.

"YOU LIAR! YOU FIRST CLASS COW!" Jasmine shouted.

"I WILL HAVE ORDER IN MY COURTROOM!" The judge demanded.

Shane sighed and looked at Maria.

"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME!"

Maria sighed and looked at the floor as Nina looked at her.

3 hours later...

"All cases have been seen and have been reviewed and hopefully by now in this long court case, a conclusion has finally been drawn." The judge said to the whole courtroom.

"This is useless. The jury is made up of a teacher who has recently split with her husband, a mechanic, a lawyer and two accountants." Maria interrupted.

"Stay silent please. Now how do the jury find the defendant?"

A middle aged woman who was wearing grey stood up, keeping her hands together stood up, "Guilty."

"Maria Thomas Doyle I hereby sentence you to two years imprisonment and make you not able to apply for parole."

Maria swallowed hard, however she didn't know about her fathers condition. He had an aneurysm around his heart and he only had months to live.

Shane got up and walked out. He went and sat outside and he sighed.

Jasmine looked at Maria, "You did this."

Maria sighed and like a bitter pill, she swallowed her pride and everything that went with it. Nina held back tears and walked off.

4 weeks later...

"So here we are." Nina muttered.

"Yeah." Maria said quietly, "You'll be twenty when I get out."

"You should've pleaded guilty.

"What would have been the point?"

"You would've had less of a sentence."

Maria sighed and took her hand, "I love you."

"I love you too but I can't do this. I can't wait for you. I have my life. Two years is a long time." Nina sighed.

"Please no. Don't do this."

"It was good while it lasted." She sighed standing up before walking away.

Maria sighed and sat back and ran her hand down her face, "Nina, Nina. Nina." She gasped.

Shane then walked in, limping with his walking stick. He had told Clara to stay in the car because he had to do this on his own.

He had to tell her he was dying.

"Dad." She smiled and stood up and hugged him.

"Hello." He smiled, before sitting down.

"Dad before you- I forgive you for this. Mum is very mad. I bet she's happy I'm here."

"No. No. I wouldn't be sure of that." He smiled.

"So why are you here?"

"To see you amongst other things. Maria I won't be around when you get out."

"What?"

"Maria-"

"Don't leave dad. I'm sorry."

"Maria it isn't you."

"Then why won't you be around?"

Shane went quiet and put his head in his hands, "How do I tell you?"

Maria started worrying, "I can help you."

"Not this time." He gasped with tears in his eyes, "Maria I am so, so so sorry. I er...I will be long, long gone by the time you get out."

"You're scaring me. Tell me-"

"I'm dying Maria! I'm- I'm dying." He gasped, "I was going to start everything again once you got out. Have days out. Spend every last penny I had on you because I was never a good enough dad."

Maria swallowed hard and held back tears, "Is it cancer?"

"No. It's just a growth. Listen. Your mum won't ever allow you back home and you understand why. This might be the last time I ever see you and I understand everything hasn't been as good as it could've been." He said, sliding his wedding ring off, "Keep this and take care of yourself." He said as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Dad...I'm so so sorry." She gasped.

Shane looked at her and took a deep breath and as he did he found he couldn't move. He tried to, but his body strained and Maria stood up, "Dad?" She gasped. As he started fitting Maria helped him onto the floor and got him onto his side, "Come on dad. Don't do this." She gasped, "Dad!"

Prison guards pulled her away and got the hall cleared, "DAD!" She screamed and struggled against them.

Maria broke down in tears as she got left in her cell. She hit the door several times over and her cell mate got down from her bed and put her arm around her, "Calm down eh? Tell me. Tell me what's up."

"My dad, he's dying." She gasped, collapsing to the floor, clutching onto Shane's ring.

"It's okay love I've got you." Her cellmate sighed.

Part 9... In his and her heart

"Right...What do we do now? He had a seizure." Maria's cellmate asked her a while later.

"I um...can't do much. Stuck in here." Maria laughed slightly, looking down at the ring in her hand, "Nina has dumped me too."

"You never asked my name after all this time."Her cellmate sighed.

"Why are you here anyway? Beautiful blonde woman like you." Maria smiled slightly.

"My name is Sarah. I'm nineteen." She smiled, "I'm here because of being drunken and disorderly and assaulting a police officer."

"I stabbed my mum in the back literally. I was angry. I saw her sister, kissing my dad. Well he isn't my dad...It's just...It happened." She sighed.

"Blimey your life sounds worse than mine."

"How so?"

" I come from a rich family. Yeah, they are too stuck up their own-"

"Tell me about it." She sighed, "How come you have two and a half years?"

"Charges were pressed."She sighed.

3 Days later...

"Morning Shane what can I do for you?" Clara asked as he walked into her office. She held the door open as he walked in.

"Thanks." He sighed and sat down, "Funeral arrangements." He sighed, "Needs to be done and I have sent things to Maria for her to design my tombstone, headstone, whatever you want to call it."

Clara sighed and kissed him, not pulling back. Shane kissed her back and ran his hands through her hair, "I'll miss this." He sighed.

"You know, I will." Clara sighed, "What do you want for your funeral?"

"Jasmine, you and Maria to be there because you are the only family I have. Maria...Oh my god.. How do I talk to her when I can't see her again?" He gasped.

Clara sighed and kissed his forehead, "You could always write an afterword for when after you've gone. Either me or Jasmine could give it to her. Or we could send it to her in the post."

Shane went quiet and held back tears, "I'm really scared Clara. I'm really really scared." He gasped struggling to breathe.

"It's okay, it's going to be okay." She sighed, hugging him, "It will be alright." She gasped as he broke down finally.

Twenty minutes later...

Shane had figured out all the arrangements and handed his afterword to Clara. He stood up slowly and looked at Clara. They stared at each other for a moment. Shane then cleared his throat to break the ice, "I will see you tonight."

"Shane." Clara sighed as he stood with his walking stick.

He turned back around and lost his balance. Clara caught him and as she did she looked in his eyes and saw just how vulnerable and scared he was. She put her hand on his cheek and held back tears, "How come she never saw this side of you eh?"

"Always too scared to tell me the truth. Or I have never been more scared of anything in my life." He gasped, trying to regain his balance, "I've never loved any other woman apart from Jasmine so why do I find myself falling for you?"

" Or you and her were over for a long time and despite your attempts, it was never going to work again anyway. Shane you have me and as long as I am here, you have nothing to be afraid of. I promise you."

"Mrs Dawn I understand that have a duty but my...fiance...He's dying and I need time with him." Clara said to the deputy head in a bid to leave the school for a few weeks, "He has a growth around his heart-"

"Miss Oswald I'm sorry but you are the head of this school."

"Stuff the bloody school! He's dying! I love him! Shane come on." Clara sighed, walking off. Shane kept hold of her, however he couldn't walk quickly and it scared him everytime he thought he couldn't do anything.

"It's okay." Clara said softly, "It's all going to be okay." She sighed.

10pm...

Shane was wearing a grey striped shirt and black jeans. After his rough day he settled down in bed beside Clara, "It's weird all of this." Shane said quietly.

"It will get better."Clara replied softly, "You haven't even got changed yet."

"Sorry. It's too much energy." He sighed.

"Want me to help you?" She asked, sitting up.

"Would you mind?"

"Shane. Its okay to ask for help." Clara smiled slightly.

Shane then sat up, being careful of how he was doing it, "Sorry." He gasped, due to him being slow.

"Don't be." She smiled. She waited until he sat up properly, "Ready?"

"Yeah, but be careful." He sighed.

Clara smiled slightly and walked over to him and knelt down as she undid his shirt buttons.

"I'm only 42." He laughed, "I always imagined that someone would be doing this when I get to old age."

"This was a terrible thing. Maybe it shouldn't have happened but it has but we all have to live with the consequences." Clara said softly and looked up at Shane and saw tears forming in his eyes, "Shane?"

"Why did I have to bloody arrest her?" He scolded himself, beat himself up.

"Shane. She stabbed my sister. You did your job."

"I had a heart attack." He said seriously.

"It was a relapse."

"It happened in front of her!"

Clara sat beside him, "Stop getting flustered. It does you no favours."

"You talk like Jasmine used to to me." He smiled.

Clara smiled in return and kissed him. Shane kissed back and for a brief moment Clara pulled away, "Don't get too excited. Not that- well it could-your heart-"

"Clara don't worry." Shane smiled, "I could die any day anyway. I would rather die with you in your arms."

Clara smiled and kissed him, not pulling away. Shane pushed her back slowly and kissed her neck, "Shane." She gasped.

"I know." He smiled and carried on before he stopped, "Clara." He panicked.

"Shane. Shane look at me, you're okay. Calm down." She gasped and passed him a glass of water, "Drink it and breathe."She gasped, rubbing his back.

Shane drank slowly and clung onto her. Once he got his breath back, he broke down in tears and Clara kept hold of him,"It's okay." She gasped and kissed his cheek.

Half an hour later Clara managed to get Shane to go to sleep and once she was sure that he was asleep, she got up and went to the house phone.

'Look at your watch now, you're still a super hot female, you got you're million dollar contract and they're all waiting for your hot track. what you waitin', what you waitin', what you what you waitin', what you waitin', what you waitin' for?' Rang Jasmine's phone with the ringtone being Gwen Stefani's 'What you waiting for?'.

Jasmine picked up eventually, "What do you want?" She said arrogantly.

"Jasmine please drop the jealous act. You and him were over a while ago."

"It's your fault that we are all where we are." Jasmine snapped, "It's half past ten, why are you calling me at this time?"

"I'm really worried. About him."

"So?" She replied, trying to act tough when she was as equally concerned with Shane as Clara was.

"He asked me to help undress him earlier because he was scared of his heart doing too much work. Then...Then we tried to have sex-"

"Typical."

"Jasmine. Please, I need someone to talk to and you are the only person I have right now."

"Sorry. Sorry Clara." Jasmine sighed, "Carry on."

"Yeah, so we tried to have sex and he just had a panic attack. I'm really worried about him."

"I'm worrying about what I'll tell Maria once he has gone."

"Yeah, he also beat himself up about that as well."

"He was doing his job."

"That's what I told him." She sighed, "Jasmine he is so scared." She said with tears in her eyes and Jasmine could hear it in her voice.

"Clara stay strong yeah? You're doing fantastically. Please. Clara I hate hearing you like this." She sighed, "You are keeping him going. You are all he needs right now."

"Yeah but how long do I do it for?" Clara gasped as tears streamed down her cheeks, "I love him and I'm going to lose it. I'm going to lose him."

"Clara. You will be there with him all the time. Maria knows that was the last time she saw him unless you put a request in to visit her."

Clara went quiet and turned around, pulling the phone away from her ear slightly and she just watched to see if Shane was still breathing and thankfully he was.

"Clara? You there?"

"Still here. Sorry. Just seeing if he was still breathing."

"The Doctors said he had days."

"That's what is petrifying him. He is clinging onto life and believe me he is fighting."

"All we can do is pray for him. I will book an emergency visit because between you and I..." Jasmine said before going quiet.

"Jas?" Clara asked quietly.

"Sorry...Yeah between you and I..." Jasmine then went quiet again, trying to be strong.

"Just tell me sis." Clara said softly.

"I don't think he will make it through the weekend." She gasped, finally breaking down in tears herself.

"Jasmine. Jasmine listen to me. We have to be strong for each other yeah?"

"It's like losing her all over again, Debbie."

"I know sis I know. I want to be with you. But I have to take care of him." She sighed

"Yeah." Jasmine said quietly before putting the phone down and going to her room

Maria sat awake in her cell on the top bunk, just clutching onto the ring in her hand. She was praying quietly with tears streaming down her cheeks. She swallowed hard and as she started to struggle to breathe, Sarah got up and hugged her, "Its going to be alright eh?" She sighed, rubbing her back.

"He could die at any moment. He could be dead now for all I know."

"No I don't think so." She smiled, "I think with how close you are...I think you'd feel it, you'd know."

"Like the horrible de ja vu feeling?"

"Yeah."

"It's like I'm waiting for his death to come but I don't want it to. He sent me some stuff so I could design his gravestone. I've done it." She sighed.

"I think you are really brave." She smiled slightly.

Maria smiled slightly and after a moment, she went to kiss her.

Sarah pushed her away slowly, "I'm sorry Maria but I'm not...I'm not a lesbian." She sighed, "You are upset, distraught and I really am sorry for you but we can't ever work."

"Sorry. My mistake." Maria said quietly.

"I'm going to go to bed. Get some sleep, it will do you some good." Sarah smiled and kissed her cheek, "I'm here for you." She then got down and got into bed.

Maria turned over and went to sleep and it wasn't long until she was fast on.

"What time is it?" Shane asked Clara waking up from his sleep.

"Twenty past twelve." Clara said, looking at her phone.

"You've been crying."

"Shane I'm really worried about you."

"I'm fighting fit." He smiled, "Don't worry."

"You're seeing Maria tomorrow."

"I've already said goodbye to her once. Granted it didn't go well but-"

" She is your daughter. She won't be able to see you next week-"

"Clara please don't do this." He hissed.

"I'm sorry." She sighed.

"I'm just really scared. The earth will carry on turning but my time will have ran out. Maria will live on and I'll..I'll just be forgotten." He said, holding back tears.

Clara looked down at him and saw the upset once again, "No Shane that is where you are wrong. You will be remembered forever. Maria won't forget. I won't. Jasmine won't...Shane no one will forget you."

"I never got the chance to be a dad." He said as a tear fell down one of his cheeks, "I never had any kids that belonged to me. I never moved on. Me and Jasmine were constantly at each others throats when all the time all Maria wanted is me, you and Jasmine as a family. She won't even get that. What she will get is half of my lifetimes earnings and all my love. What I have left." Shane then went quiet, listening to his heartbeat, "I don't want to go." He gasped and Clara hugged him and tears streamed down her cheeks, "I know. I know. I love you."

Part 10... Scarring.

Shane and Clara sat in the waiting room at the prison the next day. Clara noticed how quiet Shane was and she took his hand. Shane looked down slowly and squeezed her hand lightly.

The pair just sat in silence and Clara leaned on his shoulder before she looked up at him, "Shane."

"Yeah?" He asked, still staring at the wall in front of himself.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm dying but apart from that I am far from average." He replied before their number was called.

Clara helped Shane stand up and was with him every step of the way until they got to the visiting room.

Shane walked slowly and even when he did that, he felt his energy just going. His blood pressure rose as did his heartbeat, "Clara." He gasped.

Clara turned to him and saw him going red, "Shane. You're panicking. Just calm down." She said to him softly. She then helped him to the floor and knelt beside him, "I'll get you some water okay?"

"Is everything alright madam?" A prison guard asked.

"Yeah, yeah it is. Could you get us some water please from the canteen?" Clara asked him as Shane clung to her hand.

"Of course." He replied before walking to the canteen.

Maria came out from her cell and walked down to the visiting room. When she got there she saw something she thought she would never see again. Her dad. She saw that he was in a bad way and it shook her up quite a bit, "Dad." She gasped before running over and kneeling down to him, "Dad I'm here." She gasped.

"Hello you. Sorry about this, my legs just needed a rest." He smiled trying to be reassuring.

"Here you go. Drink this." Clara said to him as the prison guard gave her a cup of water. Shane drank it slowly and saw the two prison guards behind Maria.

"Maria. You know the rules. Get to your seat." One of them instructed and this angered Shane which didn't help the situation.

"With all due respect officer, she is my daughter and I won't be able to move another inch so if I have to talk to her from down here I will!"

"But sir-"

"It's Shane, and I understand you have rules because I'm an ex copper myself but I...I am dying. I really haven't got long left so please just let us talk here."

"Alright. Just this once." One of them said before walking off.

"Dad...How long do you think you've got?" Maria asked quietly. Clara then looked at her remembering what Jasmine said the night before and swallowed hard.

Shane looked up slowly at her, "I really don't know love, I really don't...You have to promise me that you will be strong and help your mother and Clara out the best you can once I'm gone."

"I promise." She smiled slightly and sat beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Are you two alright a minute whilst I just go to the toilet?" Clara asked them.

"Yeah. You're fine." Shane smiled slightly.

Clara got up and walked off. When she got to the toilets, she went over to a sink and poured her emotions out and broke down in tears unable to take the strain anymore. Clara really didn't know what to do with herself. She was under so much pressure looking after Shane, she was scared of waking up and finding Shane dead. She didn't want him dead.

"So did you get what I sent in the post?" Shane asked Maria.

"Yeah. Not the most likely thing I'd want in the post but I've designed it."

"Good girl." He sighed and kissed her forehead.

"Dad. I love you to bits and I know we haven't had the best of times together but you were and are the best dad ever."

"Thank you." He smiled and took a deep breath and held back tears, "You were the best daughter ever. I am giving you half of my lifetimes earnings and the rest can go to your mum."

"Why her?"

"Because she was the first. She made mistakes. We all have. She deserves something back."

"So will this be the last time?"

" The last time we see each other? Yeah...I think it might be." He sighed. He saw tears streaming down Maria's cheeks and kept hold of her, "I love you." He whispered.

Maria kept hold of Shane and when it was time to go, Maria clung to him and he clung to her just as much.

Sarah saw them and walked over to her, "Maria come on." She said softly. Shane looked up at her, "You know her?"

"I'm, I'm her cellmate. Sarah." She smiled slightly.

"Sarah. Nice name." He smiled slightly.

"Want help standing back up?" Sarah asked him politely.

"Please." He smiled slightly, "Maria let go."

Maria eventually stood up and let go of him. She helped him up and hugged him one more time as Clara walked back in.

"Look after yourself, your mum and Clara. And don't ever forget me." He smiled slightly and hugged Maria once more.

"I will do everything. I just... I don't want you to go." She gasped.

"I don't want to leave you either but I have to." He sighed and kept hold of her tightly, "Sarah will look after you. She seems nice enough." He smiled.

Maria pulled away and held back tears, "After all these years. After all our fights and everything. You have been the most amazing dad ever. Before you go. I love you and I will never forget about you. I won't let anyone forget you. Thank you." She smiled.

"You are really really welcome and after being in here. Try and stay out. There are career criminals in here and-"

"Dad. I know."

"Well then. Good luck and I wish you all the best. Goodbye then." He sighed and kissed her forehead before walking away slowly. Maria held back tears but felt Maria taking her hand.

"Shane." Clara said to him softly.

"Clara please don't. That just really hurt." He sighed.

Back at Jasmine's...

Shane sat at the kitchen table with a cup of black coffee and he just sat tapping a 20p coin on the table. He had been given the final design of his gravestone at Maria's request on a photo. Shane adored it. It was engraved with gold writing and had bright blue lights around the edges and a little plaque at the top of everything. That held a picture of a flame torch in the hand of an angel.

Jasmine stay quiet and didn't know what to say to him. She didn't want to end up in an all out war with him and she didn't want to say goodbye. Silence just filled the room and every now and then, Shane tapped the coin on the table.

"It's beautiful." Shane said quietly, staring down at the photo's of the gravestone.

"She has always thought the world of you. I always tried to block you out but when she found those pictures...I couldn't pretend you didn't exist anymore because you did." Jasmine said in a low tone.

"Once I'm gone you have to let her back into your world. Into your home, I won't have her on the streets." He sneered.

"It's not happening."

"Why not? She is your daughter."

"She lost that right ages ago. She stabbed me."

"In a moment of madness, Jasmine she needs stability. She has leaned on me for that but soon I won't be here."

Jasmine stood up and sighed, "I've had enough of this." She sighed, walking over to the sink.

Shane stood up, "So you are saying the only person she has is her auntie!?"

"Yes I am."

"You are being way out of order! She realises that she has done wrong-"

"Good for her."

"But she has a long stretch behind bars. She only did one small mistake because she got mad! Hormones all over the place and maybe me and Clara pushed her too far-"

"Too right you did."

"YOU JUST NEED TO GROW UP JASMINE! YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO NEEDS YOU!"

"I don't have a daughter."

"YOU ARE ON VERY THIN ICE!"

"Oh and what will you do? You will be dead and buried by the time she get's out."

"I COULD KILL YA!"

"GO ON THEN SHANE! Just do it! Stop making threats. It doesn't make you look clever. It just make you look pathetic."

Shane swallowed hard and pinned her into the wall, "Now. You will listen to me. If you don't look after Maria, if you fail to. I will have people watching. I can make your life hell, even from beyond the grave. We clear?"

Jasmine nodded slowly and when Shane let go, she just stared at him, "Maybe getting rid of you will be the best thing for Maria. If only she knew what you were really like."

Shane smiled to himself, and got his walking stick, "No Jasmine. Maria will always think the best of me and that is how it will always be." He said before walking out.

Part 11... Uncertainty

Jasmine walked up the stairs of Shane's flat and got to his door and knocked slowly. She waited for a while before she heard the key in the door. The hall was lit up by lights and there were fire extinguishers on the walls between every two doors.

The door opened slowly and Jasmine looked up.

"Fancy seeing you here." Shane said in a sly tone.

"We need to talk. About our daughter." She said quietly.

"Come in then. Luckily for you Clara is out." He said, walking away from the door, into the living room, "Red or white?" He asked her, going over to a table.

"Shane you don't have to do that." She sighed.

Shane sat down slowly and sighed, "I need some independence. So you want to talk about Maria. So do I."

Jasmine took her coat off and looked at him. To her he looked so well in the face but inside she knew he was crumbling. Shane passed her a glass of white wine and sat beside her, "I'm giving Maria half of my lifetimes earnings and the other half I will give to you. You were the first woman in my life and despite the stupid mistakes that you've made...I'm going to try not to choke saying this but erm...I love you...But not in that way anymore."

"That's why you have my sister." She muttered, drinking from her glass. Shane sighed and sat back, "I'm with her because I love her. Properly."

"Sorry. I thought we were talking about our daughter!?" Jasmine snapped.

"You just can't stand it can you? Your sister being happy?"

Jasmine laughed sarcastically, "Shane its you I can't stand. You like to pretend you are so perfect-"

"I never said that."

"I can't wait until you are beneath this earth because you make me sick! I loved you once-"

"For crying out loud. This is getting boring. Maria-"

"Maria was never anything to you. You threatened me earlier. Your threats don't scare me. Shane if you say you love me as much as you think you do, you wouldn't let anyone lay a glove on me." Jasmine hissed.

"I'M ONLY ASKING YOU TO LOOK AFTER MARIA AFTER I AM GONE!"

"I will never look after her again! I don't do sympathy votes. She can have Clara because I don't want her."

"You're a selfish cow, you know that?" Shane laughed.

"She will only carry on her obsession with you once she is out. For all I care...She can get shot."

Shane sighed and stood up. He walked over to the table across the room and picked up his phone.

"What are you doing?" Jasmine asked him.

"Calling a few mates to take care of some business. Jasmine...I did warn ya."

Jasmine stood up suddenly, "Shane, listen to me. You understand why I don't want her."

"But you don't have to be such a cold hearted bitch!" He snarled.

Jasmine panicked and tried to think of something to stop him before she saw a picture frame. She sighed and picked it up and hit him around the head with it once. Shane fell to the floor, but he didn't fall unconscious, "You stupid bitch!" He gasped.

"CALL IT OFF! STOP BEING A PAIN! I DON'T WANT MY DAUGHTER BACK SO DEAL WITH IT!"

"What will you do about it?"

Jasmine went quiet and thought about it, "I'll...I'll call the police."

"And tell them what? You attacked me!"

"I could say that I was provoked." She said, her voice was trembling because even though Shane was on the floor, she was worried about what he would do. She dropped the picture frame and ran over to the oak draws and found a shoe lace. Whilst Shane still couldn't see properly, she tied his hands together, but not tight enough.

"This is just stupid Jasmine! I'm dying anyway."

"There you go again with the sympathy vote! I don't care if you're dying. I just care that Maria will forget that you ever existed!" Jasmine snapped.

"That will be very hard since she loves me more than she loves you."

Jasmine sighed and picked up his walking stick and raised it, "No one will know how you died. They might think its your mates."

"You don't have the guts to kill me. We have history you and me. You could get sent down for murder. Do you really want to chance that? What would Maria think? She would never want to see you again." Shane sneered, "You do this, you are putting the whole family in danger."

"I will take all of your money. Killing you will be the best thing I have ever done." Jasmine snarled in his ear.

"You stupid cow! I'm already dying! Oh...What about your Debbie eh? She was so precious to you and like I will be, she is six foot under and unlike me..."

"What?" She snarled, holding his stick firmly in the air.

"She deserved it." He snarled and stood up and managed to get the shoe lace from around his wrists.

Jasmine swallowed thickly and kept hold of the stick, "Get down Shane." She gasped.

"Jasmine. I won't hurt you. Stop playing pathetic little games."

"I loved Debbie more than I loved anyone. I loved her more than I ever loved you!"

Shane just stood there, staring at her. He didn't want to hurt her, "I don't see why we are doing this. Why you are going on."

"You can say all you like about Debbie. Why are you slagging her off?"

"Because I'm making you see that this is what you are doing to Maria! She is in a prison cell, locked away whilst you have your happy go lucky life! I love you, her and Maria!"

Jasmine went quiet and swallowed hard as he limped away from her. At the last minute, she hit him with his walking stick and went into a rage, hitting him multiple times. She stooped when she saw a pool of blood pouring from his head. Walking over to his body, Jasmine went to check his pulse and noticed he had a weak one. She quickly got her phone out and called for an ambulance.

Before she left, she wiped her fingerprints from the stick and cleaned all the traces of her being there and she left the flat and went back home and pretended that nothing happened.

"Ooh hopefully this is him now." Clara smiled. She had been with Nina for a majority of the evening, enjoying a few drinks. None were alcoholic because Clara knew that she'd have to drive back to check on Shane.

Clara picked up her phone and answered, "Shane?"

"Is this miss Oswald?"

"Yes it is. What's happened? Is Shane alright?"

"I'm Shane's Doctor. Shane got rushed into hospital earlier after we had a call saying that he was found unconscious, however when paramedics found him...He was dead...I'm so sorry." Doctor Valentine told her.

Clara's heart fell. She expected him to pass away, but not this quick. She stood in silence for a moment, "It was his heart. It finally gave way on him."

"That doesn't seem to be the case."

"Sorry, sorry what? He had a growth in his heart. What do you mean, that doesn't seem to be the case?" She gasped.

Nina stared at her and saw that her world was crumbling down.

"Shane appears to have had severe blows to the head...It looks like he's been murdered." The Doctor replied.

Clara put her hand on her mouth in disbelief and tears streamed down her cheeks, "I'll be there."

"Police will want to question you. I'm sorry for your loss." The Doctor sighed as Clara put the phone down.

"Clara. What was said?" Nina asked quietly.

"His heart didn't give way...They found him after someone called them...He had severe blows to the head and now there will be a full on police investigation."

"That's the last thing you need." Nina sighed, "I'm very sorry." She sighed and hugged her, "Do you want me to come to the hospital with you?"

"Please." She asked, trying to stop herself from crying.

Jasmine sat at the kitchen table with Clara and Nina the next morning to hear the news. Clara sat across the table and Nina sat next to Jasmine.

"Jasmine we have some news for you...It's not good I'm afraid." Nina said softly to her. Jasmine stayed quiet expecting the worst and tried not to let her guilt show, "What...What is it?" She asked quietly.

"Clara do you want me to-" Nina asked.

"No, no it's fine."Clara sighed. She slowly took Jasmine's hands. She felt them shaking, "You're shaking sis." She gasped, looking up at her.

"I'm expecting to hear the worst...I just...I didn't think it would come this soon." Jasmine sighed, lying through her teeth.

"It gets worse...His heart didn't give way...He was attacked. He had several blows to his head." Clara sighed as a tear streamed down her cheek.

"How do I tell her? Maria. She has got to find out."

"Shane wrote something for her to read once he'd gone...I just need to send it in the post."

"Do they know who attacked him?" Jasmine asked quietly.

"The police are looking into it and...They think that whoever called the hospital had a guilty conscience and ran off so, so they think that whoever called them was the one who killed him."

"What are the police doing?"

"Well they have identified the mobile as being with the o2 service and they are still tracking it." Clara replied. Jasmine swallowed hard and got her phone out, she looked at the o2 symbol at the top and sighed, "Maria...It's just...how I tell her."

"Shane has...In a letter. She should get it tomorrow. I've sent it first class."

"There's post for you." Sarah sighed, passing post to Maria.

Maria opened the envelope and held a letter in her hand. She looked at Sarah slowly.

"What is it?" Sarah asked softly.

Maria swallowed hard and decided to read it, "Maria, by the time you get this I will have..." Maria held back tears and Sarah sat beside her and put an arm around her, "Should I read it?" She asked Maria softly.

Maria nodded slowly.

Sarah took the letter and started to read it, "...I will have passed away. Everything has been taken care of and I have set you up a separate back account which has up to seven grand in and like we discussed, your mum has the other half. However I have decided that Clara should get some as well.

Your gravestone design...I adore it and that will be created and everything is in place for my funeral as well.

I want to say sorry for getting you arrested and getting you put where you are, just do your dad a favour and once you're out. Stay out.

One last thing...

I didn't have any kids of my own but you were enough. I love you to bits and that's one thing I want you to remember, despite all that happens..." Sarah looked slowly at Maria and hugged her, "It's alright." She said quietly.

"I know...Just...Carry on." Maria sighed, wiping her tear stained face with her sleeve.

"...I love you and I want to be remembered. That's all.

"Have a brilliant life and keep memories of me alive. Look after Clara and your mum.

Thank you for everything. On the upside I have left a little something for you. Inside the envelope you will find two tickets to go and see Blondie live. I won't be with you, but maybe you could take Clara along with you.

Goodbye Maria and remember that I am always here, you need me just look up at the sky and find the brightest star. That star will be me." Sarah finished and she looked at Maria and saw how torn up she was and just kept hold of her, "He's at peace now." She said quietly. Maria thought her father just died of natural causes, it would eat away at her if she found out that he was murdered.

Clara sat down in the living room with a cup of tea unaware that Shane's killer was just across the room. Nina had stuck around, although her mum told her to give the family some space, she decided not to. Clara and Jasmine were her friends and she stuck to her instinct and decided to stick around for support.

Jasmine instantly felt sick whenever she heard a knock at the door. Earlier on she had snapped her sim card and had become really quiet. Clara thought this was her way of grieving and decided to leave it alone.

"Nina why are you still here?" Clara asked softly.

"I'm being support. Mum has told me to leave you guys alone but...You are both grieving and need some support...You need that.." She said softly.

Clara smiled slightly, "We are both grown ups."

"I know. But still." She smiled as there was a knock at the door. Jasmine looked up and once again felt sick. Nina went and answered the door and two police officers walked in with the D.I. Jasmine stood up and Clara saw how panicked she looked and this made her suspicious.

"Evening Clara, Jasmine and Nina wasn't it?" The D.I announced.

"It was. I'm supporting them."

"That's good. Right well...We have identified the weapon which was used to attack PC Doyle was his walking stick which he used to support his balance. We have also identified fingerprints which were found on it." The D.I told them.

Clara's hopes were raised as she wanted to know who killed her lover, "Who? Who do the fingerprints belong to?"

The D.I walked over to Jasmine, and handcuffed her, "Jasmine Thomas I am arresting you for the murder of Shane Doyle. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court, anything you do say may be given as evidence. Do you understand?"

Jasmine swallowed hard and looked at Clara. Jasmine didn't want to get caught out, but it seemed that she had.

"There must be some mistake." Nina gasped.

"No." Clara said fighting back tears, looking at Jasmine, "I don't think any mistake has been made." She then walked over to her slowly, "You had it in for him. He was a sick man, dying anyway so why? Why did you kill him Jasmine?"

"There's been a mistake made."Jasmine said quietly, "He was my husband, I would never kill him."

Clara then slapped her, "For your sake. I hope you're telling the truth." She snarled in her face before the police took her away.

Later on Jasmine was sat in an interview room. She had a solicter sat beside her and a cup of water on the table before the D.I walked in and a police officer sat beside him.

"2nd of May 2030 at 16:58. Suspect, Jasmine Thomas. Jasmine you have been charged with the murder of Shane Doyle at this current time. Any questions asked should be answered in full unless you wish not to. Do you understand?" The D.I asked after switching on a recorder to record the interview

"Yes." She said quietly.

"Where were you on the night Shane Doyle was found with severe blows to the head on the 29th April?"

"I was with him. He provoked me which is what made me hit him."

"So you are not denying that you struck him?"

"No. Don't see the point. I killed him. Just get me sent to court and get it over and done with." She sighed.

The D.I leaned back, "Interview suspended at 17:05." He then turned off the recorder before telling the officer next to him, "Take her to her cell."

Part 12... A guilty conscience

Two weeks later Jasmine found herself in court and having to face a long sentence and Clara had been feeling guilty ever since she hurt her sister. She was leaned against the kitchen sink and Nina was upstairs, getting ready to go to college.

When Nina comes down she finds that Clara has thrown up in the kitchen sink, "Hey what's wrong?" She asks and rubs her back slowly.

"Jasmine is in court today...I can't let her go down for it." She gasped.

Nina is shocked with this, "You have to. She killed Shane."

"Yes I know but-" She gasped, wiping her mouth.

"Jasmine killed him and what makes it worse is that she hates her own daughter. Clara you are the only support that Maria has."

Clara turned around and looked at her slowly, "I have to do this. Jasmine could get years."

"And so could you."Nina urged. As Clara got her coat on, Nina ran to the doorway in an attempt to stop Clara from leaving, "I'm not letting you do this." She warned.

"She is my sister-" Clara started before Nina interrupted, "So you keep saying."

Clara then got really annoyed with her. She didn't understand why Nina wanted her to stay so badly, "What is it with you?" She snapped, "Why won't you just let me take the blame?"

Nina then went quiet and started to panic. She didn't want to let her go, not at all, "Because...You just can't."

"Nina. Let me out of my own home, I'm seriously warning you now."

"You have everything you have ever worked for and Maria.

Clara then felt her chest burning and she fought all the tears she felt coming, "I will not forgive you for this if she goes down. Seriously. Nina get it off of your chest what you want to tell me."

"I LOVE YOU!" Nina shouted.

Clara smiled sarcastically, "I haven't got time for this."

Nina sighed and gave in, "Fine. You want to do this, let me come with you." She sighed getting her jacket.

Upon arrival at the court Nina sat beside Clara and stares at her. She needs to convince her that Jasmine has what has been coming to her.

"Clara. I'm warning you, if you take the blame for this it's not not just your or her life you are putting on the line. It's your relationship with Maria that will also get affected." Nina warned her.

"I have to do this Nina. Jasmine made a mistake." Clara replied with her voice trembling.

"You don't have to fix it. Clara please." Nina pleaded.

Clara held back tears because she understood what she was doing and she understood all that she could lose through this. She is so desperate for her sister not to take the blame and she looked down slowly as she felt Nina's hand on top of hers on the gearstick. A tear fell down her cheek. She then leaned forward and kissed Nina and didn't pull back for a moment.

"Please Clara. You don't have to do this." Nina said to her when she was still close to her. Tears now flowed down her cheeks too.

"Neither does my sister." Clara said quietly as she pulled away and looked out of the car window.

"She killed him!" Nina gasped, "Clara I'm begging you. Maria will be expecting you when she gets out."

"Manslaughter." Clara gasped, taking a deep breath, "If I just fess up to that-"

"All of this. It amounts to murder. There is no manslaughter about it. Clara I'm begging you...If you love me...You won't do this."

"God this is so hard." Clara gasped, wiping her eyes.

"It doesn't have to be. Come home. Clara please." Nina begged.

"I'm so sorry Nina." Clara gasped, getting out of the car.

Nina followed Clara eventually but stops halfway down the hall when she realises that there is no stopping her.

Clara burst into the courtroom unexpectedly and everyone in the room stared at her and Jasmine was even more confused. Guards got hold of her before she called out, "Will you all just listen to me please just listen to me! She didn't kill him." She said, looking up at Jasmine.

"Clara please don't do this." Jasmine gasped, realising what she was doing.

"On the night that he died Jasmine was looking after him. I got jealous and I struck him. I attacked him. In cold blood." She said holding back tears whilst Jasmine was on the brink of breaking down.

Clara then looked up at Jasmine, "I'm sorry for letting it get this far. I'm not letting you take the blame for something that I did."

"Clara no!" She gasped, "You can't do this I'm begging you."

Clara swallowed hard before looking at everyone in the courtroom as her sister was crumbling inside,"I killed Shane Doyle. I killed him and then I threatened Jasmine. I told her if she didn't confess, she would get what is coming to her."

At Clara's court hearing she had been sentenced to five years imprisonment for murder. This meant that Maria would be without her auntie. Her auntie was the one person she knew she could trust. However at this point Maria never even knew about what was going on. She just wondered why Clara wasn't with her at her dad's funeral. Maria was basically alone at the funeral. Jasmine wouldn't go near her. The only support Maria had was Nina and Sarah.

At the prison visit, Clara walked over to a prison gate and when she saw both Jasmine and Nina she couldn't help but smile. Jasmine saw that her sister looked rough and she couldn't stand it.

15 minutes had passed and none of the girls had said anything, so Clara decided to break the silence, "Jasmine you have to tell Maria that I killed her dad."

Nina looked at her confused, "That doesn't make any sense. Maria trusted you of all people as much as she trusted Shane so why turn her against you?"

Clara looked at her briefly before she looked at Jasmine, "To make sure that they become mother and daughter again. That is the only reason why I took the blame for what she did."

Nina couldn't comprehend what she was hearing, "What about me?"

Clara swallowed hard and played with the engagement ring on her finger before looking up at her holding back tears, "This family is poison." She smiled, "Look at it. I mean...I have five years. Maria has two. Nina I'm sorry but you can't- we weren't ever going to work. The day that I kissed you...I was just scared."

Nina sighed and looked at the floor. After a moment she looked back up at her, "I'll wait for you."

"No. Neither of you will." She said, looking in between Jasmine and Nina, " Jasmine when Maria get's out I want to see her. I want to tell her everything that I didn't do just to make sure for God's sake that you live how you should."

Jasmine then interrupted, "But you're my sister- I won't abandon you like that and Maria won't like it."

Clara then sighed, "Maria will hate me anyway. It won 't make any difference. I just want to start again. None of it is anyone's fault...You killed Shane and I loved him to bits and the truth is... I don't want you Jasmine anywhere near me after I've seen her. I never want to see you again." She sighed and held back tears, however she meant every word. She told her sister how she felt, however she took into account how Nina also felt. Clara was letting go of the pains of the past and this seemed to be the only way.

"Hello baby." Jasmine sighed talking to Maria on the phone later that night.

"Why are you being nice? Why didn't you come anywhere near me at dad's funeral?" Maria snapped.

"Because I have something terrible to tell you and I'm not sure how I'm going to tell you."

"Just spit it out." Maria snapped.

"Your auntie Clara...She killed your dad. Before his heart even gave way...She killed him. She threatened me. She forced me to go to prison. She told me that I would get what was coming to me if I didn't." Jasmine sighed, knowing she was lying through her back teeth like Clara told her to.

"Auntie Clara? That doesn't make any sense. She loved him. Why would she do that?"

"I don't know babe, I don't know. I'm so sorry."

"Right.. Speak later." She said quietly before putting the phone down.

Maria sat beside Sarah on her bed and leaned on her shoulder, "It doesn't make any sense."

"What doesn't?" Maria asked softly.

"Auntie Clara killed him apparently."

"Was she the one who was with him at the prison that last time?" She frowned.

"Yeah. She was."

"Well she seemed stressed from that day I saw her."

"Must've been." She sighed, "I love you."

Sarah kissed her, "I love you too."

Part 13...There's no good in goodbye

2 Years later...

Maria had been released and whilst Jasmine waited outside Maria went to see her auntie. Maria walked down the hall and sat down and waited for Clara.

Five minutes passed and finally Maria saw her.

"Got you a brew." Maria smiled as Clara came over.

"You've changed a bit. In a good way." Clara smiled and hugged her tightly.

"I'm 18 now." Maria smiled and sat down opposite her, "Anyway long time no see."

"Thanks for the brew." Clara smiled, "How've you been?"

"I have been fantastic. I just don't understand why you are in here." She sighed.

Clara swallowed hard, "If you've been deducting, you would be wrong."

"Nah, I moved on from that and found something better." She smiled.

"Really?" Clara smiled.

Maria then looked over at Sarah who was sat talking to her parents and pointed at her, "Her."

"Was she your cellmate?" Clara smiled, delighted that she managed to get through two years with someone who was really kind.

"She was. It was a bit of a bumpy ride at first but...She has six months left here and she and I are now engaged."

"Oh wow. That is fantastic." Clara smiled, " Congratulations. How's your mum being with you?"

"She is very apologetic when it comes to dad. I'm over him now, but the tickets dad gave me...I will keep them as an heir loom, even though he-"

"I know, I know." Clara smiled, touching her finger. Maria smiled, "I have an apartment in a flat...A few doors down from where dad lived."

"Are you sure that's-" Clara started.

"I'm completely fine with it...I just hope that this isn't our last time as in last last time." Maria sighed.

Clara played with the ring on her finger and looked up at her, "The past is behind me now but...after today...Maria I'm sorry but after today I never want to see you again."

Maria frowned, "I'm sorry. What?"

Clara went quiet, "After today we all move on. That's why you're here and that is why your mum is outside. She has to suffer too. I killed your dad in cold blood because I couldn't cope anymore with the pressure. Your mum was mistakenly arrested."

"Why? Why would you kill him?" Maria snapped.

"I really hated him. He was demanding constantly."

"He isn't like that- he never was."

"Never to you, never in front of you."

"Auntie Clara what really happened?" Maria frowned.

Clara held back tears, "He tried to rape me and because he was weak already. I picked up his stick and I hit him. I kept hitting him until I knew the scum was dead." She snarled at the pretend scenario she was making in her head.

Maria held back tears, "No."

Sarah looked over and she hated the look that she saw on her fiance's face, "Excuse me a minute." She told her parents before going over to Maria, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah fine. Listen. I'll be fine. I will speak to you tomorrow." Maria said, holding back tears. She looked at Clara and she saw her staring at the floor holding back tears.

Sarah looked at them before kissing Maria's forehead, "You know where I am if you need me." Maria nodded slowly. Sarah then went back to her table.

"That is sick."Maria snarled, "He was petrified of death, so I don't see why he would use his last breaths to try and..." Maria turned away and shuddered.

"I'm so sorry Maria but it's true!" Clara gasped, holding back tears.

"No. No. Just stay away from me." Maria gasped, "I would rather remember him as a great dad." Maria walked over to the playroom and put her forehead against the jungle painted background before she collapsed in the corner in tears.

Clara couldn't believe the lie she had just told her and when it was time for her to go, she walked over to her and hugged her holding back tears, "I love you. You remember your dad how you remember him okay? And remember our memories." She gasped and kissed her forehead.

When prison officers came over, Maria stood up and hugged Clara tightly, "I won't leave you. Please don't say goodbye to me when it doesn't have to be. We could all work something out."

"I want to start my own life baby." She sighed and kept hold of her.

"We can keep in touch. Anything. Please."

"Our family is poison and that's why it has to be goodbye."

"There's no good in goodbye."

"I love you." Clara sighed before letting go of her. Just as Clara got to the gate, she turned back around, "Take care of my sister yeah? Take care of yourself." She then walked off, leaving Maria's heart broken. Maria walked out in tears and sat in the passenger seat beside her mum. Jasmine saw that she was hurting, so she put her hair behind her ear and hugged her tightly, "I know what you're feeling and maybe us all moving on is for the best yeah?" She sighed and hid her tears from Maria.

He took out a small box and opened it, "Jasmine...It's been such a long day but I swear to you this is the last surprise of the day." He smiled, "I love you. I love you and our child so much and I wouldn't want to change anything more. Jasmine Thomas will you marry me?"

Jasmine smiled, considering also how tired she was. Tiredness would not change how she felt towards him, and she didn't want to change anything. She smiled and had tears in her eyes, "Yes. Yes Shane I will marry you." Shane smiled and stood up. He kissed her, not letting go for a few moments.

"I love you." Jasmine smiled at Shane as he put the ring on her finger.

"I love you too." Shane smiled, finally sitting beside her.

* * *

><p>Two<p>

Mother and Father

"Welcome home." Shane smiled opening the door to the flat. Jasmine held Maria in her arms whilst she was sleeping, and a smile spread across her face, "I am certainly glad to be back here." She then looked at Shane, "Is the nursery sorted?"

Shane looked down at her and nodded, "Yes, yes it is. It's nice and warm as well."

"Seriously?" Jasmine asked in surprise.

"I'll have you know, I'm very good a plumbing."

"Thank you." She smiled and kissed his cheek, before venturing on to the nursery. The walls were a pale pink accompanied by pink and purple flower stickers on the walls. There was a mobile hung above the cot with little zoo animals on it. On the windowsill there were three big teddies; a pig, a tiger and an elephant. There was also a pink lampshade around the ceiling light and Jasmine also noticed the added dimmer switch on the wall. Just behind Jasmine stood a tall, varnished wood wardrobe.

Jasmine smiled at the whole room and remembered how her and Shane were fussing over what color the room should be.

_'Why don't we have blue?'_

_'Because Shane our baby will be a girl. Anyway you don't actually have to have it blue or pink, you could have it any color we wanted.'_

_'What makes you say that?'_

_'Well the way I see it, just having one color is just sexist. Not all girls like pink and not all boys like blue.'_

_'Right you win. If we paint this room and it's a boy, I will blame you'_

Jasmine in fact remembered that Shane always liked to be right, but on this occasion she was right. She lowered Maria into the cot, "There you go baba." She smiled as Maria got comfortable again.

"You like it then?" Shane asked, stood behind her.

"Shane. I think you have done a brilliant job." She smiled and kissed him.

"Who is going to do the night feeding?"

"We take it in turns like any other couple." She replied.

"I was worried you were going to say that." He muttered, "Needs must I suppose."

Jasmine crossed her arms, "You have a fear of being a dad."

"No!" He dejected quickly, "I just- I don't think I'm ready."

"Well you're gonna have to be because she is here now and you can not stuff her back up my-"

"I know." He replied quickly.

"So what's it gonna be? Dad or no dad? Maria needs you as much as I do." She sighed, putting her point across.

"And when I'm on night shifts?" He asked, then Jasmine quickly snapped, "You never do night shifts! Hang on, you are going to aren't you just to avoid the job of getting up in the night to feed her?"

"No Of course not. It's just me saying just in case."

"Just in case means that I will do it. Shane you aren't backing out now." She said before looking down at Maria, "Sorry Shane."

Shane walked up behind her and started massaging her shoulders, "You're still hormonal. I understand. Look you just go to bed and I will bring you a coffee and make sure that Maria is okay. Okay?" He was now kissing her neck, but she gave in, "Yeah. Also Clara might ring so just-"

"Tell you. I Know. I know." He replied and pushed her slowly by the shoulders out of the room, "Bed. Now. Doctor's orders." Jasmine was going to reply to him, but she saw the stern look on his face, "Go." As Jasmine went Shane had his hands on his sides but couldn't help but smile. He had two things to be proud of. He made her a mother and he made himself a father. Everything was going well for the little family of three and Shane couldn't have felt prouder.

* * *

><p>Three<p>

Young at heart; Three years later

"Shane! Your phone is ringing! Stop it!" Jasmine shouted through trying to concentrate on her own work whilst Maria was playing in the corner with her toys. She then looked down at Maria and smiled leaning on her palm. Maria looked up at her and smiled chewing on a toy, and she threw it on the floor, "Mama!" She smiled. Jasmine's jaw dropped, "SHANE!"

Shane came through putting his blazer on, "What is it now?" He sighed, sorting the collar out.

"Maria. She just said her first word." She smiled. Shane smiled instantly and crouched down to Maria, "What did you say? Can you say it again for daddy?" He asked her softly.

"Mama." She smiled, throwing a toy on the floor.

"Well done." He smiled, "It's not dadda but it is good enough." He smiled before standing up and turning around to Jasmine.

"Dadda." Maria laughed. Jasmine saw Shane's face drop with shock and she couldn't help but smile. Shane turned to Maria and looked down at her, "Say that again."

"D-dada." She smiled. Shane's smile grew instantly and he picked her up, "Well done." He smiled, kissing her cheek. Maria smiled and looked at Jasmine as she stood up. Jasmine smiled and kissed Shane's cheek, "I will be seeing you after work then?"

"Yep. Are you doing your Uni work?" Shane replied.

"Yeah. Well, trying because now she is becoming a chatter box." She smiled.

"Hey well, at least she can tell you what she wants." Shane smiled, putting Maria back down, "Right I'll be late. See you in a bit." He said kissing her cheek before walking out.

* * *

><p>At midnight there was a knock at the door and because Shane was at work, Jasmine dragged herself out of bed. She slowly walked to the door and lazily opened it, "Clara. What do you want?"<p>

"Or welcome home would be nice!" She retorted.

"It's midnight and I have been up with the baby. What do you want?"

"Is he here?" She said in a whisper, looking around.

"He's at work." She sighed, sitting down on the sofa trying not to fall asleep.

"I know you have made a mistake." She said sitting beside her.

"Ugh! Will you just let it drop! Two years you have been on my back about this!"

"BECAUSE I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!"

"Clara! I'm married. He is a great dad and because you don't like him, does not mean he is a bad man!" Jasmine then lay back before she heard Maria crying, "Christ sake." She sighed.

"I'll sort her."

"YOU WILL GO NOWHERE NEAR MY CHILD!" Jasmine snapped.

* * *

><p>Shane came back in the morning and went straight to his room, "Morning Jas." Jasmine ignored him and turned over. Shane sighed and got beside her before going to sleep himself, understanding she was tired of the feeding in the night.<p>

"MAMA!" Maria screamed through the flat at seven o'clock later that morning. Jasmine quickly got up, startling Shane.

"Wh-what is it?" Shane said slowly.

"Didn't you hear her screaming?" Jasmine gasped as she got to the bedroom door. Shane's eyes widened and he quickly got up as Jasmine went into Maria's bedroom.

"I'm here baba. It's okay. I'm here." Jasmine gasped taking Maria from her cot, but then she noticed the lump on her forehead, "How did you do that eh?" She gasped. Shane looked between the two, "Where did your annoying sister go last night?"

"She wasn't even here." Jasmine replied inspecting Maria's bruise.

"Don't lie to me Jasmine." He retorted.

"Look after Maria a second for me." She said, passing her over before walking past him.

Shane glared at the floor before putting Maria down. He then followed Jasmine, "She has been going on again hasn't she? The big mouthed whore."

"Oi! That is my sister you are talking about! No she is not a whore. Seriously. Just stop it." Jasmine snapped before going into the cupboard. Shane followed her, "You need to get rid of her before I do." He sneered and Jasmine stood up, "Is that a threat?"

"You know what it is. She has been going on and on and I just wish she would change the record." He replied buttoning his shirt up.

"Well with the way you are going on-" Jasmine retorted before she stopped.

"Tell me Jasmine." He replied. Jasmine ignored him and went into the kitchen and went to sort some milk for Maria as she started crying. Shane carried on following Jasmine, clearly not wanting to let the topic drop.

"Shane I need to sort Maria out. She has a lump on her head and she is hungry." She told him as she found Maria's bottle.

"I don't care. Just tell me what you are thinking and then I will let you sort her out." He replied. Jasmine then looked at him disgusted. It was as though he didn't care about his daughter and she hated it, "Are you controlling me? Because if you are-" She replied before she stopped in mid sentence again. She loved him so much that she didn't want to let him go, however the stopping in mid sentence was starting to annoy him.

"Will you stop it with that!?" Shane finally snapped raising his voice.

"I'm not doing anything wrong." She muttered as she put the milk into Maria's bottle.

"Tell me what you meant Jasmine because right now I have had it up to here with you and your stupid lying!" Shane snarled as Maria carried on crying. Jasmine looked up, "You want to know what I meant do ya!?"

"Yes as a matter of fact I do!"

"I am starting to think that Clara is right! You are always in at stupid times in a morning and guess what!? I phoned the station. You don't do night shifts they said. So where have you been Shane!? You been having it off with some other slapper!?"

"I wouldn't ever cheat on you and you know it." He sneered.

"Oh. Oh. So...What's that bag in our room then? Hm?" She asked as she noticed him start to look suspicious, "Should I just go and find out? Yeah. I think I might." She replied, before going to the kitchen door and before she even reach the bedroom, Shane pulled her back, "You don't need to find out!"

"Shane let me go." Jasmine gasped, her voice was shaking with fear.

"Just sort Maria out. Whatever I do. No harm will come to you or her."

"Is that what you're calling it? Really Shane? I swear if you are dealing. Me and her will be gone."

"You wouldn't even dare."

"No. I wouldn't because I love you. Look Shane, just give whatever you got given back. We don't need it. We have each other. Shane please."

"We need the money and this is the only way I can do it." He replied, tightening his grip on her.

"Shane you're hurting me." She gasped, "Please just let me go."

"It isn't drugs. It never was. I'm not that stupid. I killed someone in order to do it." He replied and Jasmine could feel his breath on her neck and she struggled more, "Shane please. I am begging you!"

Maria carried on screaming and crying whilst the two were having a scuffle but then she climbed out of her cot and followed the sound of her mums voice. When she got there she saw Shane trying to strangle Jasmine and she quickly screamed, "MUMMY!"

Shane got off of her quickly and looked at Maria, "It's okay baby. Me and Mummy were just playing. Weren't we?" He said and then looked at Jasmine.

"Yeah. Yeah. Mummy and Daddy were just playing. Come on baba. Let's get your head sorted." She said, standing up. She walked over to Maria and picked her up, before taking her into her bedroom.

Shane hit the wall so hard that he cracked a knuckle. He was never meant to hurt Jasmine. He never wanted to. He knew after this he would never ever lay a finger on her again.

* * *

><p>Shane placed a cup of tea onto the coffee table whilst holding his three year old daughter in his arm. He sat down slowly and looked at his wife who was sat across from him. Jasmine was just staring at the TV screen with her hand on her cheek, ignoring her husband. The day had just gone from bad to worse all day and Shane had only just caught onto why she had been acting the way she had.<p>

"That time of the month is it?" Shane asked her.

"Shut up Shane." Jasmine replied quietly. She didn't look at him, she just carried on staring at the screen.

"Look what I did earlier- I was out of order."

"You-" She stopped knowing that Maria was there, "You make me sick." She sneered.

Shane swallowed hard but he had the understanding of what he had done wrong. He moved his hand over slowly to her thigh. Jasmine pulled away quickly and finally looked at him, glaring.

"Jasmine." Shane laughed slightly.

"Bedtime Maria, come on." Jasmine sighed and stood up. Maria looked up at her in disappointment and looked at her dad who was right next to her, "Daddy do I have to?"

"Yes you do Maria so do as you are told!" Jasmine snapped.

"There is no need to talk to her like that." Shane sighed.

"Don't you dare speak to me about how to look after her. You wouldn't even know the first thing about it!" Jasmine hissed in return, "Maria bed now!" Jasmine shouted.

"You are being out of order now." Shane sneered as Maria ran upstairs crying.

"Me out of order?" Jasmine laughed sarcastically, "You should wake up and smell the coffee Shane. She isn't even yours!"

Shane's heart dropped dramatically in his chest and he didn't know what to think. He stood up and towered over Jasmine, "If that is your sick attempt at getting back at me well done! I was about to tell you that I lied earlier. I was in a wind up mood, I didn't think you would take it that far."

"You what?" Jasmine gasped.

"So what is this about Maria?"

Jasmine swallowed hard, "It was a joke...to get back at you."

"Really? I don't think it was." Shane sneered, "I want the truth HERE AND NOW JASMINE!"

"Her dad...Oh my god Shane." Jasmine gasped holding back tears, "I'm so sorry."

Shane felt anger and upset filling in his chest, "Are you saying what I think you are?"

Jasmine nodded slowly but had no idea how much this was hurting Shane inside.

"Fine. You called the station on a night time to see if I actually was doing night shifts. I did a few, they would have told you. On the nights that I wasn't, I was working in a pizza place taking deliveries door to door...I was working to provide for my 'daughter'." Shane replied calmly, however Jasmine saw that all he wanted to do was to scream and shout.

"Shane...If I could make it right-"

"HOW!? JASMINE YOU HAVE JUST MESSED UP BIG TIME!" Shane shouted, "I love you. Doesn't that account towards anything? Oh yeah it's fine for you to go off with another bloke, but when it's me you scream and shout at me."

"I know and I'm so so sorry." Jasmine gasped as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I LOVE YOU TO BITS AND I SWORE NEVER TO CHEAT ON YOU WHILST BEING MARRIED AND I KEPT MY PROMISE! AND YOU LED ME ON!"

"It was nothing like that I swear." Jasmine gasped, grabbing his arm.

Shane got in her face and growled, "Then why let me believe that she was mine?"

"Because...You were so happy when I gave birth to her I just- I didn't want to break your heart."

"AND YOU THINK IT DOESN'T HURT NOW!? Who is her dad?"

"Does it matter?"

"YES JASMINE AS A MATTER OF FACT IT DOES!"

"Shane-Her dad well...Her dad is..."

"Oh just save it will ya?!" He snapped before holding her arm tightly, "This is three lives you've ruined. Maria's, mine and your own. Now I'm going into town tomorrow. I will go and get a soliscitor and when I do, I will be divorcing you."

"No Shane. Please we can work it out!"

"Yeah actually." Shane snarled. Jasmine looked into his eyes and saw how deeply this was hurting him. She saw the anger and the pain it was causing him.

"What?" Jasmine gasped.

"We will work it out." He snarled, "But because Maria isn't mine...I still treat her as my own..."

"Yeah..."

"Divorce is too expensive anyway." He then poured himself some whisky and sat down, "Go on then. Sort out your daughter." He sneered.

Jasmine stared at him for a moment before she went upstairs.

"Good girl. You're in bed." Jasmine smiled slightly as she saw Maria in bed, "I will tuck you in." Jasmine then walked over to her and tucked her in.

"Why were you and daddy shouting?" Maria asked quietly.

"Me and daddy...We just had something we didn't agree on thats all." Jasmine sighed, kissing her cheek.

"Will daddy read me a story?"

"Not tonight baby." Jasmine sighed, sitting beside her, "I'm sorry for shouting at you. Mummy just got a bit angry thats all."

"It's okay mummy." She sighed.

"It isn't." Jasmine sighed and looked down at her, "There is something that I need to tell you."

"What is it mummy?"

Jasmine sighed and went quiet and Maria sensed something was wrong, "Mummy?"

"Tell her Jasmine. Go on. It seems you have the courage to break your three year old daughters heart. Your tore mine out...Just tell her. She will find out one day." Shane said coming in the door.

"Mummy?" Maria asked.

Jasmine stayed quiet, realising what a mistake she had made. Why did she ever cheat on him? Shane loved her so much and was always there for her, Shane felt beyond betrayed. He didn't understand where he went wrong which is why it tore him apart.

"Maria I'm- I'm not...I'm not your daddy." Shane said eventually.

"What?" Maria said quietly.

"It seems your mummy told a really big fib."

Maria looked at Jasmine, "Are you my mummy?"

"Yes baby, yes I am." Jasmine said quickly, "It's just your daddy who isn't your daddy."

"Will he stay?"

Jasmine looked up at Shane slowly.

Shane then looked at Maria, "No...I'm not going to stay. I'm so sorry but remember, this wasn't your fault."

"Daddy." Maria gasped.

Shane sighed and kissed her cheek, "Goodbye baby."

Jasmine looked up at him, "What happened to us figuring it out?"

"You brought this on yourself. I loved you to bits..." He hissed. He then walked out, shutting the door behind himself.

Jasmine swallowed hard and hugged Maria tightly as she sobbed into her arms.

13 years later...

"Alright Georgina...Yeah I know, mental." Maria spoke on her phone, walking through the park to one of her mates from school, "No. Mum told me that I had to be in by ten. I am as gutted as you, but you should know mum well enough now. Right speak to you tomorrow. Bye." Maria finished her conversation and put her phone back into her pocket, not watching where she was going.

She walked into the middle of the road unaware of the oncoming car.

"Watch yourself." A male voice gasped, pulling Maria onto the curb.

"Oh thanks." Maria gasped, "Saved my life."

"Well just be more careful in the future."He told her.

"I owe you one. um...Do you fancy coming for a coffee or something?" Maria smiled.

"I'd love to but wouldn't your parents be concerned about you?"

"I can just text mum, she won't mind."

"Did she ever warn you about strangers?" He asked, putting his hands into his pockets.

"Yes." She shrugged, "Ever since my dad left."

"Oh I'm sorry." The blonde man replied.

"No, no it is fine. He left when I was three years old. Anyway...Coffee?"

Shane went quiet for a moment having a flashback of when he left his own daughter all those years ago and seemed to forget that Maria was there. Shane didn't even know that the girl in front of him was his daughter.

"Maria." He muttered staring at the floor.

Maria frowned, "How do you know my name?"

"No, it's just...Like your dad...I left my daughter when she was three years old..." A smile slowly appeared on his face, "I named her after-"

"Blondie by any chance?" Maria laughed.

"Yeah." Shane smiled, "Your dad a fan too?"

"Is your name Shane?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Maria's face went blank for a moment, "Sounds mad but...I think your my dad...My mum's name...It's Jasmine Thomas."

Shane automatically went quiet. He was full of emotion. He didn't actually know what to make of his daughter, who was now grown up, "Did she- did she tell you why I left?"

"She cheated on you...Dad...I have hated her for a while for you going away." Maria replied, sitting beside him on the bench.

"I'm back now though eh?" He smiled.

"You certainly came back into my life with a bang. You saved my life." Maria smiled, "Thank you. Oh and if its any problem, I absolutely love Blondie."

"That's no problem at all." He smiled, "I should take you to a concert."

"I would love that." She smiled as her phone rang, "Guess who." She said to Shane.

"Don't tell her I'm here. Please. I want to surprise her."

" Okay." She smiled.

"Mum. I'm on my way back now. No. Nina just wanted me to walk her home. I'm three streets away...Alright, see you in ten." Maria then put her phone back into her pocket and turned to her dad, "Right. Home then?"

"Yep." He smiled, standing up.

"It's four. Maria, you are late home tonight." Jasmine said to her as she walked in. Jasmine was stood holding the iron out, getting ready to iron clothes. She then looked up and her jaw dropped.

"What the hell is he doing here?" She hissed at Maria.

"He saved my life. I almost got run over."

"Well you should watch where you are going then!" Jasmine snapped, "Just go to your room Maria."

"Just promise me you won't get rid of him." Maria replied, taking her fathers hand. Shane looked down and swallowed thickly. He slowly looked up at Jasmine waiting for a response.

"Alright okay. I promise. Please go to your room whilst we talk." Jasmine sighed.

Maria smiled sadly at her before she kissed Shane's cheek, "See you in a bit dad."

"See you." Shane said quietly. He then watched Maria go upstairs before returning his glance to Jasmine.

"What right do you think you have here?" Jasmine said to Shane.

"I saved our daughters life and that is all you can say?" He replied in a darker tone.

"Alright. Thanks for looking out for her. We don't need you now. We are fine without you." Jasmine replied making her way to the kitchen.

Shane followed her, "I hears he is a fan of Blondie."

"Yeah. Massive. She has driven me mad with it for the past eight bloody years! I wanted to forget about you but she is stupid enough to carry everything on. I tried Gwen Stefani. I tried Abba. I tried everything just to make her forget all about you!"

"Now thats out of order. She has the right to know I exist!" Shane snapped, horrified with what he was hearing.

"Yeah. When she got to eighteen I was going to tell her that you were dead."

"Thats sick!"

"Yeah. Like the lie you told me all those years ago!"

"At least that isn't as bad as you cheating on me! What made it worse is that you made me believe she wasn't mine. SHE STILL THINKS I AM HER REAL DAD!"

"Keeping the dream alive I suppose." Jasmine shrugged folding clothes up.

"Hang on. You just said that you were trying to make her forget all about me. By now she wouldn't know anything about me-"

"She found photo's that I didn't even know existed on my laptop when she was fifteen. She didn't have a dad because her real one is dead."

"So you just carried it on." He growled, "How long do you think it will be before she realises that you are a scheming low life cow?"

"Says the man who lied about murdering someone!" Jasmine snapped. She then felt Shane's breath on her neck and shuddered.

"I would never ever hurt you or her."

"That's why I knew you would be back. You loved her too much to just let her go." Jasmine replied turning to face him. Jasmine saw the guilt in his face, "I'm right aren't I? Shane. You don't get it do you? I'm telling you. Be her dad. She deserves that much. Please Shane."

Jasmine and Shane then stared at each other for what seemed an eternity before Shane put his hand lightly on Jasmine's cheek. Jasmine stared up at him with her chocolate brown eyes melting into his.

Jasmine then slowly leaned forward and Shane also engaged with kissing Jasmine in return. Passion was there and the pair knew it. Love was there like it was fourteen years ago and it felt brand new to them both.

"Mum Nina messaged me, she said- oh you two are busy...Right I will just leave you to it." Maria said to them, walking in on them by accident.

Jasmine smiled up at Shane and he smiled back. They both then looked at Maria.

"Oh Jasmine do you remember what Maria's favorite film used to be when she was little?" Shane smiled.

"What would that be then?" She smiled, "Frozen. She still watches it now. I have bought her five DVD's over all these years.

Maria stared feeling awkward not knowing what to say.

Shane smiled and looked down at Jasmine before starting to sing even though it was out of tune, just to make Maria feel even more awkward, "I know it's crazy but we finish each others-"

"Sandwiches." Jasmine interrupted, however she was in perfect tune.

"That's what I was gonna say." Shane smiled

"Oh God." Maria muttered, "They are singing from 'Frozen'"

Jasmine overheard her and smiled, "Maria we are only having a laugh."

"Yeah I know but its embarrasing."

"But for the first time in forever-" Jasmine sang.

"I'll be right here." Shane smiled.

Maria couldn't help but smile at the duo. She was happy that for the first time in forever, her family were finally back together. She walked over to Shane and hugged him and held him tightly, "I've missed you so much." She smiled.

"We are all back together now. I'm not going away again I can promise you that." Shane smiled.

Jasmine stood across the room and smiled at them and felt guilty for leaving it until now for Maria to see her dad as she saw him all those years ago, "Right. Well then queen Elsa are we going to watch Frozen?" Jasmine smiled.

Maria pulled away from Shane and smiled, "Yeah why not?"

"Wait Jasmine." Shane sighed and walked over to her before getting down on one knee, "Can I say something crazy?"

"Yeah." Jasmine smiled.

"Will you marry me?"

"Can I say something even crazier? Yes." She smiled.

Shane stood up and kissed her, not pulling back.

"Well I guess...Love really is an open door." Maria muttered to herself, watching as the pair fell in love once again.

Part 4...

After a while of watching Frozen it was time for Maria to call it a night and she did. After she sorted her school stuff out she went into the living room and saw her parents asleep on the sofa and decided to leave them alone. She turned the lamp off and put a blanket over them before going to bed herself.

7am

'Mamma Mia here I go again, my my, how can I resist ya?' Rang Maria's mobile alarm the next morning. She reached for it quickly before turning it off again and going back to sleep.

Five minutes later Shane walked in with a cup of tea and put it on her bedside table, which admittedly was usually Jasmine's job but today her dad did it, "Come on atomic woman. You only have one week left and then its the Christmas break."

"Never put atomic into a sentence unless it sounds right." She groaned.

"That's me been told." Shane smiled before heading to go out of the door.

"Dad can I talk to you?"

"Of course." He said raising his eyebrows as he got to the door with the landing light reflecting from his skin.

"It's a thing I don't want mum to hear..." She said quietly.

Shane then closed the door slowly and dimmed the light using the dimmer switch which was still in her room after all these years, "What is it?" He asked, sitting beside her.

"How do I tell you this when I don't know how you will react?" She said nervously.

"I'm your dad. I will love you no matter what. If you are having boy problems or even girl problems even though that admittedly isn't my area."

"It is girl problems except not how you may think." She replied just as nervously as before.

"Oh...Do you think you have certain feelings that you don't feel towards boys?"

She nodded slowly.

"Hey don't worry." He smiled reassuringly, "If you think you are that way I have no problem with it. How long have you felt like it, that is if you don't mind me asking."

"A few years. I tried to tell myself it was wrong and that I shouldn't but-"

"Hey listen to me. Don't ever beat yourself up like that. You can't help the way you feel towards some people. I'm just flattered that you told me and not your mum."

"What do I do? How do I tell people?"

" The best advice would be to do some research into it and tell people when you think that you are ready."

"And mum?"

"I can deal with her. Well done for telling me though. Do you feel better for it?"

"Loads." She smiled.

Shane then hugged her before pulling back, "Right you get ready for school and don't worry about anything." Shane then got up and left the room, closing the door behind himself.

11am.

Shane sat beside Jasmine holding a cup of tea in his hand whilst watching Jeremy Kyle on TV and he was thinking of how to tell her about his and Maria's conversation that morning, "Me and Maria had a conversation earlier."

"Well it's great to know that you and her are getting on." She smiled.

Now here was the thing. Breaking the ice, "About her sexuality." Shane said quietly.

" What are you on about? Shane she has had relationships with boys on and off, I'm surprised that is her thing."

"Maybe it isn't."

"What?"

Shane took a deep breath and cleared his throat, "Her relationships with boys may not of lasted because she had other things on her mind, other girls she had taken an interest in."

"I've heard it all now." She laughed sarcastically, "Maria has always been straight."

"She said she had been interested in girls for years and she was scared of telling you. She was terrified of telling me this morning."

"It won't last. It is a phase. Hormones."

"You told her all about me. You need to tell her about Debbie."

Jasmine turned and looked at him with a glare like daggers, "My daughter will never be a lesbian. I won't let it happen. Not ever."

"You're scared of what will happen to her if she does because of what happened with Debbie. It's clear."

"Debbie is dead."

"But she is on your conscious everytime you think of Maria if she turned out to be one."

"Shane drop it please." She replied as her phone rang, "Clara." She muttered.

"Jasmine don't speak. I have Maria in my office now."

"What has she done?" Jasmine muttered.

"She hasn't to an extent. She has told me that Shane is back and that she is...A um...Lesbian."

"You got a problem with them?" Maria snapped.

"Right that's it. I have had enough of this. I am coming to get her."

"YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO BE A LESBO! IT WILL JUST BE A STUPID PHASE MARIA!" Jasmine shouted at her as soon as they go home. Shane just sat at the kitchen table staring at his hands.

"What do you even have against lesbians? How do you know unless you try?" Maria replied quickly.

"I could easily say the same to you. You've had a string of boyfriends. Two of them got you pregnant! You aborted one and put the other up for adoption!"

"Well that is probably why I'm better off gay then!" Maria snapped. Jasmine then slapped her full pelt, enough to cause a red mark, "You ever turn into a dirty little slapper that does both men and woman on the streets just for the hell of it, you may as well pack a bag now and don't come back."

Maria stayed quiet and held back tears rubbing her cheek, however to her annoyance Shane said and did nothing.

"Just tell her Jasmine. Tell her what you are so afraid of and then say sorry to her." Shane said just a few minutes later.

"Why should I?"

"Because that is the only way you will save your daughter the pain of becoming what you said she would be and you the pain of regretting it years down the line." Shane replied turning around in his chair.

Jasmine swallowed hard and walked over to the table. She sat down slowly and Maria followed not long after.

Shane stay quiet whilst watching Jasmine about to try and piece her relationship with her daughter before it was too late.

Jasmine took a deep breath and slowly looked at Maria, "I'm really sorry for hitting you and saying all of that rubbish."

"Just get on with it." Maria replied, holding back tears.

Jasmine looked at Shane before she looked back at Maria, "Many years ago I had a girlfriend and...Lets just say a lot of stuff happened... Clara had a connection with her...Her name was Debbie. Me and her we fell out loads and so did her and Clara but there was this one day when Debbie's parents, well they came back to get her. Cut a long story short, Clara wouldn't let go of Debbie and Debbie wouldn't let go of her..."

Clara walked in from work, however not disturbing the conversation. She just stood in silence having mini flashbacks.

"...They had a mother, daughter connection and believe me it was clear enough. However things got too much for me downstairs so I...I went and coward away in my bedroom whilst Clara was fighting for Debbie and when I came down." Jasmine felt tears in her eyes and started shaking. Maria looked at her sympathetically and put her hands on top of her mothers. Jasmine pulled away slowly and looked up at Maria, "I came downstairs and there they were. Clara's hands were covered in blood and Debbie...Debbie was dead." Tears now fell down Jasmine's face and the emotion was effecting Maria too, but only because she hated seeing her mum cry, " It turns out that Clara was meant to stab Debbie's dad but he moved out of the way so the thing she used...It went straight through Debbie's heart. Maria this is what you need to understand. I am petrified of what will happen if you are that way inclined."

"But mum your story is different to mine. Yes it ended tragically but the worst mine could end is with a broken heart and then move on. Like you and dad. You found someone else to love." She smiled.

"If we are being all honest I'm so sorry Maria but what I'm about to tell you will hurt more than that slap I gave you."

Shane looked up quickly catching on, "Jasmine no. Please. I am begging you."

"She will find out one day. This probably won't change anything." She smiled cynically.

"And you and I both know it will change everything!" He hissed.

"What?" Maria asked, "I may as well know now."

Shane stared at Jasmine for a moment.

"I'm sorry Shane." Jasmine muttered before turning to Maria, "I...I'm very sorry, we both are but Shane...He isn't your biological dad.

These words hit Maria really hard. She went really quiet and wouldn't say anything. She was that hurt. Shane could see how much it was hurting her too. It hurt him just as much as it hurt Maria. He then stood up and walked over to her and crouched down, "I know how much this is hurting you. You know what happened all those years ago. This is how much it hurt me too. Maria look at me please."

She didn't. She seemed to ignore everything, although she could hear everything. She just wanted to cry. Her whole world had just been reshaped and rearranged. She felt the tears in her eyes and slowly looked down at Shane.

Shane sighed and hugged her, "I'm so so sorry." He gasped, kissing the top of her head, "This doesn't mean that I'm going anywhere though because I'm not. I'm right here for you."

Maria decided she couldn't keep it in any longer. Her emotions just kept eating away at her, so she just decided to let it all go. She broke down in tears into his shoulder and he kept a hold of her.

Jasmine just sat and kept watching, and noticed when Shane looked at her, "Don't you dare tell me that I have no idea what it feels like to have my heart broken like this because I do Shane. Believe me I do." She said, holding back tears.

After a while Shane and Maria just sat together on the sofa. Maria was asleep on his chest and he was sat in complete silence. Jasmine sat down across the room and sighed, "She needed to know."

"Maybe not find out the way that she did." Shane replied with sadness in his voice. Shane didn't even look at her and he was fighting back tears. His eyes were red and he didn't even look at Jasmine when he spoke to her.

"Shane I'm sorry." Jasmine sighed.

"We're going to get married. Except now, she knows that I'm not her real dad. Do you understand what damage you could've caused?" He growled, finally looking at her.

Jasmine swallowed hard and stared at Maria who was still asleep on Shane's chest.

Clara brought three cups of tea in and sat beside Jasmine. After hearing the conversation earlier she had felt guilty ever since.

Three different coloured cups were placed on the coffee table with steam bellowing from them. Red, blue and yellow. Clara had chosen them because she just liked the colour considering her sister adored the colour purple.

"She is right Shane. She had to find out sooner or later." Clara sighed.

"Her mother got into a bloody argument with her! She should never have found out that way." Shane snapped. He then looked down at Maria, feeling her moving, "Do you have any idea what is going on in our heads? She has found out that I'm not her dad. I've known for years that I'm not her dad. It has killed me!"

Clara sighed and looked at the floor.

"I haven't had any other woman Jasmine. Ever since I left you. I have never had another woman in my life...I just..I just don't understand why you cheated on me...I don't understand why you let me believe that she was mine for three years."

"I told you. I felt guilty." Jasmine replied quietly, " But now you are the only dad she has."

"No." He hissed.

"Shane."

" I'm only doing to you what you've done to me."

"Yes and if you do, it will effect her too. How's that fair?"

Shane slowly moved Maria off of him and stood up. He then looked down at Maria and sighed, "There is one thing I've learned through all of this. She's sixteen. A big fan of Blondie." He laughed slightly, "She is too much like me and...She's not even mine!"

Jasmine stood up, "Shane please for her sake stay."

"What would be the point?"

"I love you Shane."

"I really wish that were true." He sighed and walked off.

" Shane!" Jasmine gasped and followed him to the front door, "We can make this work."

"Even after everything! I thought we could work. I was convinced!"

"You are going to break her heart!"

"You broke mine years ago!" He snarled, getting in her face. He then walked off, slamming the door behind him.

Jasmine stood in silence stunned. She held back tears wondering how to tell Maria that her dad was gone again.

"He's gone." Jasmine gasped walking into the living room.

Clara looked up at her, holding her cup of tea, "Do you think he'll be back again?"

"I really don't know." She sighed, "Christmas next week and all she wanted this year was her dad. He was the closest and now he's gone. What do I tell her?"

"The truth." Clara said arrogantly.

"How do I tell her when it will hurt her?"

"It will hurt her even more when she finds out that you lied to her. Again."

Jasmine swallowed hard learned the truth, "We told her when she was three, she must've forgotten."

"Jasmine. Jasmine. She is sixteen. All she has ever wanted is the truth. Her dad. A male figure to look up to. Wake her up. Make her go after him. She can make you two work."

"Those days are well past me now. I can't sustain a relationship. Not with him."

"Get over yourself." Clara laughed, "You two love each other to the moon and back. Ever since you and him split, you two have had no one else because you love each other too much. Go after him and renew your vows."

"No. I can do better than him."

Clara sighed, "Maria can't."

"She can. She will."

Maria came out of her room later and sat in the living room feeling really tired. Jasmine was in the kitchen cooking tea and Clara was sat across the room. She was dreading what Maria would ask. She would want to know where Shane was. Clara didn't know and Jasmine would pretend that she didn't care at all.

"Feeling tired mrs?" Clara smiled as Maria sat down.

"Very." She yawned, "Where is dad?"

"Jasmine!" Clara shouted, "You sort this out. I will keep an eye on tea." She sneered as Jasmine came in.

"Well where is dad?" Maria snapped.

"Gone. He is gone and its for the best." Jasmine replied quickly, "He walked out on you. He doesn't love you as much as he claims clearly!"

"You drove him away." She said arrogantly.

"Believe what you like Maria because I really am past caring. About him."

"He saved my life!"

"And now he has walked out of it! Accept it. God Maria!"

Maria sighed and walked off, slamming the door.

"YOU'RE GROUNDED!" Jasmine shouted after her. Clara then walked in clapping sarcastically, "Well done Jasmine."

"She doesn't need him."

"No Jasmine! You both need him and he needs you two. You two are his family. The sooner you realise that, the better." Clara snapped. She then walked off and went to Maria's room.

"Stupid cow." Maria muttered, looking up at her Sherlock calendar.

"She is just thinking she knows best." Clara sighed, sitting on her bed.

"Auntie Clara." She said quietly. Maria only called Clara, auntie when there was a problem and to be fair, Maria had a lot on her plate at the moment and it was killing her.

"Maria." Clara sighed, "Come here."

"I just want a dad...What is wrong with that?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. You deserve a dad."

"Mum doesn't seem to think so." She sighed. Tears now started to fill her eyes and a lump formed in her throat, "I don't care that he isn't my biological dad. I love him. I really do."

"I know." Clara said quietly, "How good are your deducting skills?"

"Haven't used them in a while. Why?" She asked, turning around.

A smile crept its way onto Clara's face, "Shane still has the same phone."

"Ah...Oh..." Maria smiled, "This is why I love you. Thank you." Maria kissed Clara's forehead and sorted her collar out before leaving her bedroom.

Clara smiled and followed after her.

"You get back in your room now!" Jasmine snapped at Maria. Maria ignored her and walked out.

"She wants her dad. She will find him." Clara smiled, putting her coat on.

"No. You dare go after her, I will disown you." Jasmine snapped.

"Do it then. I will help my niece. I don't care what you want Jasmine. She deserves to be happy." She said before following after Maria.

"YOU AREN'T MY SISTER NO MORE!" Jasmine shouted before slamming the door.

Part 5... The art of deduction

"So same phone then?" Maria asked Clara, walking down the stairs of the flat.

"Yep. Same Nokia from 13 years ago, so what do you think that means?" Clara asked sorting her red scarf on her neck.

"As he has been saying. He hasn't been able to move on and neither has she. Same phone and the clothes. His sense of style has not changed and it never will."

"Which means?" Clara smiled getting giddy. She had always missed this part of Maria. Ever since Maria had started watching Sherlock, even to it's last series, she learned how to deduct things. Clara had took more notice in it than Jasmine did, because she was really clever and Clara admired it. Maria stopped trying to be like Sherlock when she was eight years old and even though it saddened Clara at the time, now she was seeing it again, she remembered how happy it made Maria feel happy when she was right.

"Do you remember Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat?" Maria asked as they carried on walking down the street.

"They were the people who wrote Sherlock aren't they?" Clara smiled.

"Yeah. I've always wondered what made them stop and not even my deducting skills can help with that." Maria sighed.

"Maybe you could write to them."

"Maybe I could."

"Yeah? I remember when you were little. You picked it up so quickly." Clara smiled.

"Mum never took any interest though. She pretended. You never did though. You were always generally pleased like you are now." She then just stared at Clara for a moment, stopping for what seemed to be no reason.

"Maria what is it?" Clara asked. She could see that she was thinking, she just worried what about.

"Why do I let emotions get in the way. It makes me miss the obvious."

"Like what?"

"Mum and Shane...He lied. He lied about a murder he didn't commit but then later he said he was delivering pizza's. Why make a lie that big and then turn it into a small lie that he could have said in the first place?"

Clara shrugged.

"Maybe he was having an affair at the time but murdered her and tried to hide the evidence."

"Don't be so absurd." Clara snapped.

"It could be right or maybe-"

"Or maybe he panicked when Jasmine thought that he was having an affair and decided to make a really big lie to hide the truth. Maybe he didn't want her to know about him doing extra work and overdoing it." Clara sighed, "Shane is a good man and you know he has always been."

"Not always."

"Sorry?"

Maria walked off and Clara caught up with her in an alley way. ' Pizza and flavour' read a sign. Maria stood against the wall having a flashback of when she saw Shane strangling her mum all of those years ago. "We are just playing." Maria said in a voice that was trembling with emotion and fear.

Clara looked at her empathetically and sighed, "You remember that don't you? After all these years."

"How do you know? You weren't even there!" Maria snapped and looked at her.

"No I wasn't but Jasmine told me."

"It isn't the sort of thing someone just forgets." Maria snapped, "Hang on. Why are you so convinced he is a good man when you knew about this?"

"Because it was one silly mistake he made and you stopped him. Just by being there, you stopped him killing Jasmine and ever since that day he has lived with regret."

"So now instead of finding love, he lives in isolation and comes back to Jasmine every now and then. "

"I don't- I don't know."

"OF COURSE YOU WOULDN'T! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND LOVE BECAUSE IF YOU DID YOU WOULD HAVE A FAMILY BY NOW!"

"Oh, Oh thanks. Maria I'm trying to help you find a stupid idiot and this is how you treat me!? You may think you're Sherlock. Some days you're good at it and some days...Some days you just-" Clara gasped, holding back tears. She knew exactly why she wouldn't find love and it all had something to do with the day Debbie died, "You wanted help from me...I'm not your John Watson. I'm your auntie. And I don't want to help you anymore. You think you're Sherlock. Figure it out yourself."

Maria stood in silence and stared at Clara and she knew that she went too far. She just couldn't say sorry.

Just as Clara was walking away, she turned back around to Maria with tears in her eyes and said to her, "Before I leave you to figure your case out Miss Holmes, figure this case out." Clara then walked back over to Maria and stood right in front of her and because of her height, she looked up at Maria and said, "Figure out why after all this time I've had no one to love. I won't go until you've figured it out."

Maria swallowed hard and stared at the fences down the road, not plucking up the courage to look at Clara.

"You just can't do it can you?" Clara said quietly.

"Not when I'm under pressure, no."

"FOR GOD SAKE MARIA! WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE! SHERLOCK ISN'T REAL! HE IS FICTIONAL! You can never be him."

Maria swallowed hard but figured things out piece by piece, "It runs through our family doesn't it? Heartbreak? Of course it does. You and mum were both heartbroken over the loss of Debbie. Nevermind that, you killed her so. You are just like Shane and mum. You can love someone but when it comes down to it, you're just too afraid to love because of what might happen. You are both too scared to love because what if a tragedy like that happens again?"

"You got that all in one." Clara sighed before she slapped Maria full on.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?"

"Don't you dare say that I don't understand love again because I do! Like I say. For your second case...You're on your own." Clara said to her before walking away.

"Clara!" Maria gasped, holding back tears.

Clara ignored her and carried on walking as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Part 6... Dad

"Get up now." Jasmine said walking into Maria's room the next day with a cup of coffee.

"Leave me alone!" She moaned.

"Listen, I know what you said to my sister last night. You cruel and spiteful little girl."

"You dissing my sexuality?"

"No. You're grounded and you have school. Get up."

"She slapped me!"

"Did you find your 'Dad'?"

"I couldn't find anything." She sighed, "I won't stop trying though."

She didn't she got to school, she wrote down possible links as to where her 'dad' might be staying, however when she got caught, she had got sent to Clara's office. One place she really didn't want to be.

"Twice. In two days." Clara sighed, looking at what Maria had been scribbling down throughout the last three lessons. Maria sat fidgeting and twiddling her fingers, feeling awkward. She ran a hand through her hair and stay quiet. The silence didn't last forever as she noticed things that she wouldn't usually notice, "You're wearing a darker lipstick than yesterday and a tad bit more make up...Your attitude and body language has changed, not just around me but everyone apart from your sister."

"Oh Maria, I've had enough of this." Clara sighed, "Stop being clever it doesn't suit you."

"Neither do those tights. You never wear tights. Who are you trying to fool? Everyone or yourself?" Maria retorted.

"Wait until I tell your mum."

"Have you found someone?"

"No. No. Look. I don't regret slapping you last night and to be honest, it felt good."

"Debbie Dingle...Lover, friend...Partner."

"She was just a student who Jasmine fell in love with- do you want to find Shane or not?" Clara snapped, getting very wound up now.

"Sorry. I really am sorry. Yes I'd like to find him. My...My dad."

"He forever will be to you won't he?" She asked softly.

"I just want him in my life and for mum to be happy again."

Clara sighed and looked up when there was a knock on her door, "Come in!" She called.

"Miss Oswald. Someone is here to see- Maria? Twice in two days." The teacher at the door gasped.

"Yes Miss Trevor, what were you saying?" Clara asked.

"Yes um, someone is here to see the pair of you."

"Who?" Clara frowned.

"A Mr Shane Doyle."

Maria and Clara stared at each other blankly for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"Um yes, please send him through."Clara gasped after a moment. Maria stared at her and swallowed hard.

"Maria." Shane said sternly as he entered. He held his head up as if he was proud but he really wasn't.

"Dad!" Maria gasped cracking a smile, however Shane never did. Instead he just walked over to Clara's desk and sat down.

"What can I do for you?" Clara asked him, clearing her throat. Shane put his hands together and for a brief moment he looked at Maria before he looked back at Clara, "I um would like to apologise for the way I left the other day. I shouldn't have left the way of which I did."

"Apology accepted." Clara said sternly. She knew that he wasn't there to cause trouble. She knew that he'd never want that in front of someone he wanted to be his daughter, "May I ask as to why you are here? Would you like Maria to be here if we are to discuss confidential matters?"

"Anything you have to say, you can say in front of me." Maria snapped.

"Perhaps not all of it." Shane replied sternly, "Go back to class please."

"No. What if you leave again and I never hear from you!?"

"That won't happen, I promise you."

"I've had enough of your promises!"

"Maria! Back to class now please!" Clara snapped.

"No!"

"Maria just go back to class." Shane said, finally looking at her.

Maria stared at him for a moment before walking out, slamming the door.

Clara sighed and sat forward, "Sorry about her."

"Don't be. It's not her fault, I made her promises and I walked out." He sighed and took a deep breath before putting documents on her desk.

Clara stared at them, briefly scanning them and her jaw dropped slightly, "What are these?"

"I um...I'm applying for custody. Over Maria."

"Right." She said, sitting back, "Why are you discussing this with me? Have you discussed it with Jasmine?"

"Not as of yet. Because you are her sister, I wanted to discuss it with you first to see what you thought of it, instead of me having to fight with you."

"Shane." Clara sighed, "I would never fight with you. You are a good man and I think-I know that you'd be the most amazing dad to her but this...I want nothing to do with any of this."

"I told the biggest lie ever all those years ago. I strangled her because of it, I could've killed her but Maria was there and she stopped me."

"And you would never do it again."

"She could use that against me." He sighed running a hand through his hair.

"Shane...I can't, I'm sorry...She is my sister and you are a mate to me. I don't want to come between you." Clara sighed.

"The worst that will happen from all of this is that Maria will get taken from the pair of us. I've read up."

"Is it worth the risk?"

"I think so yes."

"Then go for it." She said sternly, "I'm not going against Jasmine. I know how much Maria wants you in her life. Go for it."

Shane sat in silence for a moment trying to comprehend what he was hearing, "Are you serious?"

"I don't want to see her heart broken anymore. Do what you have to do."

When she got home Clara dropped her keys on the worktop and came into the kitchen and saw Jasmine stood cooking. 'Ooh yes I wish it would rain down. Down on me, yes you know I wish it would rain, rain down on me now' Phil Collins sang on the radio.

Usually Jasmine would look up at Clara when she came in from work and acknowledge that she was there, but not today.

"You okay?" Clara asked, putting her bag down on the table.

"Maria called. Said she won't be home tonight and Shane came round. He told me he wants custody."

"Oh?"

"Don't Clara." She laughed sarcastically, "I know that he had been to see you first. He told me that you told him to go for it. Thanks for your support, really thanks."

"I only told him to go for it because you both have an equal chance of getting custody. I'm not coming between you two."

"Your bags are just through there."

"What?"

"I told you last night that I disowned you. I thought well I might give her a chance but today- you stabbed me in the back. Now you can leave."

"Jasmine-"

"Goodbye Clara." She said sternly.

Clara held back tears and went to her room. She looked at all the bags that were packed and sighed. She then walked backwards and saw Maria's bags were also packed and everything was taken down from the walls.

"I'm not fighting. Don't see the point. She will see him for who he is." Jasmine told Clara as she noticed where she was looking.

"No Jasmine! I'm not. I'm not doing this." Clara gasped and came back into the kitchen, "ALL SHE WANTS IS HER DAD!"

"AND ALL I WANT IS MY DAUGHTER AND A SISTER WHO CARES ABOUT ME!"

Clara pinned Jasmine into the wall, "Look at me Jasmine please just listen." She gasped holding back tears. Jasmine stopped struggling against her for a moment and just stared at her.

"I care about you and I always have done. Maria loves you, we all do and if you think that we don't then you are wrong. Shane loves you to bits."

Jasmine looked down at her, fighting back tears.

"Three letters, one word. Just one that Maria has always wanted to say and now she has the chance. Dad. You love him to bits. Maria was right. We have never been able to love because we have both been scared of what would happen, because of what happened to Debbie and you know I'm right."

Tears now streamed Jasmine's cheeks, "I'm too scared of losing her. Everything. Even-"

"Even what?"

Clara asked her calmly and looked away as she heard the door, "I'll be back in a minute." She sighed and went to the door.

Jasmine sighed and wiped her eyes. She then went into the knife and fork draw and picked up a knife, gathering her own courage. She then calmly went to the front door and as soon as Clara turned around she put the knife behind her back.

"You alright? Whats up?" Clara asked her.

"Nothing...Clara you were right. You can stay and so can Maria when she wants to." She smiled slightly, still holding the knife behind her back. She didn't have the guts to carry out what she wanted to do because it reminded her too much of what happened with Debbie.

"Good, good. Thank you." Clara smiled.

Jasmine walked back into the kitchen and put the knife down on the worktop and started to have a panic attack. Clara walked in and put her arm around her and reassured her that everything would be okay. That was until she saw the knife that she knew hardly ever got used, "Okay Jasmine just breathe yeah?" She gasped and put the knife back in the draw, "I know what you were going to do. You stopped yourself, sis it's okay." She sighed.

"No it isn't! I'm turning into them!" She gasped.

Clara sighed and helped her to the floor as she collapsed. For a while they just sat there and Jasmine went over everything she had been feeling and thinking and Clara understood both sides of their stories. Both hers and Shane's but she still insisted that she wasn't getting involved.

Part 7... False attractions

"Shane. Is that-?" A colleague said to him, sat in a police car on duty two days later. He was staring at two people kissing.

"Oh Ross get over yourself." He laughed, "It's just kids having fun. It's lunch time anyway."

"Should we move them on?" He asked, still staring.

"May as well." Shane replied before getting out of the car. He walked down the road and stopped when he was two metres away from them, " Alright you two, get back to school." He said interrupting them. The pair glared at him but walked off. Once they walked off, one of them turned around and shot him three times. Ross quickly got out of the car and called for back up.

"Alright thank you. Bye." Jasmine said on the house phone quietly. Maria was sat across the table, eating her lunch which consisted of a cheese salad sandwich and a packet of ready salted crisps.

"You alright sis?" Clara asked, looking up.

"No." She said quietly and sat down at the kitchen table. Her face was as white as a sheep and it worried both Clara and Maria.

"Who was on the phone?" Clara asked. Maria looked between them and finished sorting her crisps on her sandwich before putting both lids back on top.

"The hospital." She said, before looking at Maria.

"Mum?" Maria asked, getting worried, "What did they say?"

"Jasmine?" Clara gasped.

"It's your dad. He is in the intensive care unit."

"We have to go now."Maria gasped standing up.

"No. He has been put into a medically induced coma. He was shot on duty this morning and a bullet went into his skull. He is in a critical condition and survival is unlikely."

Maria felt her legs shaking, she felt really sick. She just felt really numb. She didn't ever want this to happen. She didn't want it to end here.

Clara stood up and quickly caught Maria as she fell. She knew this had hit the pair of them really hard. Jasmine just sat in silence at the kitchen table and looked at the engagement ring on her finger and a tear fell down her cheek as she thought about it.

"I suggest one of you go in at a time just for the first time." Clara said softly to the two girls as they waited in the waiting room, holding each others hands.

"Go on Maria." Jasmine said quietly.

"You sure?" Maria asked.

"I just need to do a bit more thinking but I'll be alright, I promise. Clara is there with you." She smiled slightly.

Maria sighed and kissed her forehead, "Love you."

"I love you too, now go on. See him."

Maria walked off with Clara slowly but didn't take her hand.

As soon as Maria got to the outside of Shane's room, she stopped walking.

"Maria?" Clara asked softly.

"I'm scared but I don't know what of." She gasped fighting back tears.

"He, it's okay." Clara said, nudging her arm slightly.

" Auntie." She said quietly.

Clara took her hand, "I'm here. Come on. You can do it."

Maria took a deep breath and went to push the door, but she hesitated. Clara stayed quiet and gave her the time she needed. Eventually Maria pushed the door and walked in.

Shane didn't appear the same. He had half of his hair shaved where they had to operate and had various wires and tubes stuck to him. For Maria it was too much. Tears just streamed down her cheeks as she slowly walked over to him. She wiped her face with her sleeve and slowly sat down.

"Do you want anything?" Clara asked her softly.

"I just want him to be okay." She said quietly, taking his right hand. She then kissed it lightly and pressed his hand to her forehead and tears just streamed down her cheeks, " Don't end it like this please. Dad I'm begging you." She said quietly.

Clara stared at the floor and realised just how bad situations were.

When Clara wentre to get Jasmine, she found that she wasn't in the waiting room. She sighed and went outside. Jasmine wasn't even there. Clara sighed and went back inside where Maria was asleep beside Shane.

6 months later...June...

Maria had had a rough few months. Shane was only just getting back on his feet. Maria took it hard when she found out that Shane had given Jasmine full custody over her. By now Jasmine and Shane had renewed their vows and when they did Shane was on crutches because he had also been shot in the knee. Jas and Shane were living apart even though they were together, they decided it was the best thing to do to avoid arguments about the past so it felt to Maria as though they were apart anyway and that Shane only came for the sex. All of this messed with Maria's head and it changed her attitude.

"I'm back to work next week. Can't wait to be back at work again." Shane smiled, sitting down with a cup of tea in his lap. Jasmine smiled and kissed his cheek, "You've missed it. I can tell."

"Why do you not live together?" Maria asked, not looking away from the TV.

"Not this again." Jasmine sighed, "We are giving each other time and space."

"You've had six months!" Maria snapped.

"Oi, don't talk to your mother like that." Shane sneered.

"Don't you want me? Is that why she has full custody?" Maria snapped.

"I gave your mum full custody because I didn't see the point in fighting. We're together. That's what you wanted and you sound so ungrateful." Shane replied before sipping from his cup.

"Whenever you come round to ours, the only thing I hear is you two doing it. The constant banging on my wall, it's disgusting!" Maria snapped.

"It's not all the time Maria." Jasmine sighed.

"You two are just-"

"Maria tell us what the problem is." Shane sighed.

Maria felt tears coming to her eyes and refused to look at them. Shane put his cup down and got his walking stick and limped over to her and knelt down, "Tell me. Come on, I know you can."

Maria swallowed hard and flinched as Shane stroked her cheek. She swallowed hard and slowly looked at him, "I just want you and mum to be together, I mean live together so then it doesn't feel as though you have separated. Please dad."

Shane looked at Jasmine for a moment and all she did was shrug. He then looked back at Maria, " This is something me and your mum need to discuss."

"You are married. Why should it matter? You are both messing with my head and it hurts!"

"Give us a month to decide."

"I won't wait that long."

Jasmine looked at Maria, "Stop attention seeking. Me and him aren't ever going to live together. End of."

Maria looked up at her and then looked at Shane. She saw the he was dissapointed.

"There is your answer." Shane said to her, "We can't live together. Me and your mum. It's not going to happen."

Maria swallowed hard and got up and walked out, slamming the door.

Shane stood up and got his walking stick and looked down at Jasmine, "This is messing with her head! THAT WASN'T FAIR!"

"WELL MAYBE WE WOULD LIVE TOGETHER IF SHE STOPPED CALLING ME A SLAG AND SLUT AND EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN!"

"Now you're making it up!" He growled.

"WHY DID WE RENEW OUR VOWS!? I've no idea why we did!" She shouted and went to the bathroom, slamming the door. She locked it and sat down on top of the toilet seat and tried to calm herself down.

A week later...

Clara had colleagues round for a party and Jasmine and Maria kept their distance from each other. Shane was on duty and came back an hour later when he wasn't.

Maria stood in the kitchen holding a glass of coke and stared at Jasmine as she stood making sandwiches. Maria had been in a mood all day. She was hating how the pair of her parents were always arguing and now it was getting in her mind, beyond a joke.

"What's the point in this?" Maria sneered, just staring at everyone who was at the party from the kitchen.

"It is to celebrate your auntie becoming a head teacher at your school."

"It's only a bloody promotion, whoopti do." Maria snapped.

"It's not a promotion and if you don't pack it in being a mardy cow, you will be grounded for a week."

"Ground me then." She snapped.

"Evening." Shane said happily and kissed Jasmine on the cheek. Maria looked away from them and had a disgusted look on her face.

"What's up with you?" Shane asked her.

"Nothing. Just carry on playing happy families, it won't last long. Never does." She replied before taking a long sip of her drink.

"Ignore her. She's been like it all evening and is starting to do my heading." She sighed.

Shane looked at Maria and noticed that she had a really big problem, "You need to pack it in. Me and your mum are trying to work everything out and you aren't making it any easier."

"Yeah and who's problem is that!?" Maria snapped.

"See what I mean." Jasmine muttered.

Shane sighed and looked at Maria for a moment before going into the living room.

"Hey you." Shane smiled as he greeted Clara, "Well done." He smiled, hugging her.

"Thanks." She smiled, "How was work?"

"It's great to be back. I've missed it." He smiled, "Maria is doing everyone's heading apparently."

"I'm leaving her to it. It's the best way at the moment, she's hormonal as well which doesn't help. Want a drink?"

"I'm fine thanks. I'm just concerned about her." He said, looking back in the kitchen.

"Shane. Don't worry. She is just very, very hormonal. She will be fine." She smiled.

Shane sighed and stared at her for a moment and put his hand on her cheek, "You're so beautiful."

"Shane." Clara sighed, "You are married to my sister. This, this can't happen."

Shane pulled his hand away, "You're right. Sorry."

Maria stood staring from the kitchen and her jealousy just grew just as much as her anger.

Clara stared at Shane before she kissed him full on, not pulling back. Shane kissed back and ran his hand through her hair and this topped Maria off. She pushed Jasmine out of the way and got a knife from the knife and fork draw and walked off in a rage.

Jasmine quickly got herself back up and went after her, "Shane!" She gasped.

Shane quickly pulled away from Clara and the pair soon caught attention of what was going on and Clara was the first to notice the knife, "Maria. Calm down!" She gasped.

"WHY DO YOU ALL KEEP MESSING ABOUT WITH MY HEAD!?"

"Maria just put the knife down." Shane gasped, "You start waving that around, people will start getting hurt."

"You can shut up an' all!" She snapped.

Shane sighed and looked at Jasmine.

"What has made you kick off now?" Jasmine asked her quietly.

"THEM!" She shouted, pointing at Clara and Shane, "Shane was going to- She told him no but then..."

"Then what?" Jasmine asked, "Maria? Tell me!"

"SHE KISSED HIM!"

Jasmine then looked at Clara and it eat away at her, however Jasmine had other problems to worry about, "Okay Maria, just put the knife down and we will sort it all out. Everything.." Jasmine said calmly to Maria, slowly moving closer to her.

"How mum?" She gasped holding back tears.

"Just give me the knife and everything will be okay."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes. I promise." She said quietly.

Maria gave the knife over slowly and as soon as Jasmine got a hold of it she threw it across the room and it hit the wall.

"You two need to start talking. Now." Jasmine demanded.

"It was my fault Jas, too many drinks. It was a mistake and it won't happen again." Clara replied.

"It'd better not." She snarled.

"There we go Maria. It was nothing more." Jasmine replied, turning to her, "Maria what are you doing?"

Maria looked up from her phone and glared at her, "I'm moving out."

"And where would you go?" She laughed.

"Nina's."

"You can't stay at your mate's house."

"SHE ISN'T A MATE! She's...She's my girlfriend."

Shane and Clara swallowed hard at this reply and even worse, it bothered Jasmine.

"You have a girlfriend?" She laughed.

"Problem?"

"This explains your problem. It isn't me or your dad-"

"He isn't my dad."

"Fine! Fine, just fine. Have it your own way." Jasmine laughed, "I'm not leaving him."

"He just kissed your sister!"

"You are being pathetic, stirring. Making it sound worse than what it was. It was a mistake that won't happen again."

"You are all pathetic. All I want is a family who actually cares."

" AND WE DO!"

"NO YOU DON'T!

"OH SO WHAT DO YOU WANT!? A PERFECT FAMILY!?"

"Yes!"

"There's no such thing. The sooner you realise that, the better." Jasmine sighed before walking past her, shoving her shoulder. As she walked past Maria she looked up at Shane, "You have her." She then looked between them, "I don't need you Shane. I've gone all these years without you. I still don't need you. I don't depend on you." She then looked at Clara, "Hope you two live happily. You might be able to have much more happiness than me. I wish you both luck. Something is telling me that you're going to need it." She sighed.

Clara looked at her sadly and swallowed thickly.

"Clara!" One of the guests gasped.

Clara looked up quickly and noticed Jasmine gasping for breath. She then heard something dropping to the floor and as soon as she did, Jasmine collapsed in her arms, "Sis look at me eh ? Jasmine talk to me." Clara gasped.

Maria stood behind Jasmine, holding back tears, "I didn't mean to, I-"

"Oh no." Shane gasped, "You stupid cow! Do you realise what you've just done!?"

Maria looked at him for one more moment before she ran off.

"No you don't." Shane gasped and chased after her. He ran down the stairs and tried to keep up with her.

"Just like Debbie." Jasmine gasped.

Clara put her hair behind her ear slowly, "Shut up. You're not dying."

"Should've seen this coming." She laughed slightly, "But you kissed my husband. Why Clara? Don't tell me it was a drunken mistake. Just tell me the truth. I deserve that."

Clara held back tears and sighed, "Because I love him. I do love him and I'm so sorry."

"Once I'm alright again Clara. I don't want anything to do with all of you. Maria, you or him. Understood?"

"Clearly." Clara said sadly.

"This only happened because of you and him."

"Oi, come here now!" Shane gasped. He eventually caught up with Maria and shoved her into a garage door and handcuffed her, "You are being arrested Maria. So let's do this properly. Maria you are under arrest for GBH and the attempted murder of Jasmine Thomas, you do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when question-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Maria shouted at him.

"Something which you may later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given as evidence, do you understand?" He gasped, trying to stop her struggling.

"Let go of me!"

Shane sighed and put her in the back of his police car. After he did, he collapsed against the garage door, struggling to breathe, "Back up. Back up request... and ambulance." Shane gasped, out of breath.

"DAD! DAD!" Maria gasped as he fell unconscious, "DAD!"

Part 8...Everybody's changing.

"Two in hospital and one in a cell." Clara sighed, talking to Nina on the phone later that night.

"What's wrong with Shane?"

"He just collapsed. I don't know why."

"So Maria then is she-"

"She is being interviewed and it looks like she is in it for the long haul." She sighed.

"Clara do you want company or something?"

"This was all my doing."

"To be fair Shane is quite-"

"Get off it." She laughed, " How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Two years older than Maria? Ooh you've much to learn." She laughed.

"Debbie."

"What did you just say?" She gasped.

"This, it happened to her. History is repeating itself and it is driving you up the wall. Maria told me before you ask."

Clara went quiet and put the phone down.

"Clara?" Nina asked.

Clara sat back down on the sofa and poured herself a drink of wine before her phone rang again. 'Unknown' read the phone. Clara sighed and picked it up, "Hello?" She said tiredly.

"Miss Oswald?"

"Yes that's me. May I ask who is speaking?" She said, sitting up.

"I'm nurse Valentine from the hospital." Spoke the male voice, "Jasmine's condition is critical and blood is fast flowing into her right lung because it is punctured."

"Will she be alright?"

"We will try and empty the lung but for now she is in a critical condition."

"And Shane?" She asked impatiently.

"He is stable and he is awake. His breathing is back to normal. However we have had to do more scanning."

"Why. What is the problem?"

" I cannot discuss much more."

"Right. Thanks." She sighed and putt he phone down.

"Everybody's changing and I don't know why." She muttered to herself.

"Maria Thomas Doyle you have been charged with the attempted murder of Jasmine Thomas. How do you plead?" A judge asked her. Maria was stood in court two weeks later. Jasmine and Shane were both sat across the room, except Shane had a walking stick between his legs that he had to use all the time.

Jasmine sat further away from Clara and Shane. She just looked on at her daughter. Jasmine felt as though she was at square one again with everything.

"How do you plead?"

"Not guilty." Maria said quickly.

"YOU LIAR! YOU FIRST CLASS COW!" Jasmine shouted.

"I WILL HAVE ORDER IN MY COURTROOM!" The judge demanded.

Shane sighed and looked at Maria.

"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME!"

Maria sighed and looked at the floor as Nina looked at her.

3 hours later...

"All cases have been seen and have been reviewed and hopefully by now in this long court case, a conclusion has finally been drawn." The judge said to the whole courtroom.

"This is useless. The jury is made up of a teacher who has recently split with her husband, a mechanic, a lawyer and two accountants." Maria interrupted.

"Stay silent please. Now how do the jury find the defendant?"

A middle aged woman who was wearing grey stood up, keeping her hands together stood up, "Guilty."

"Maria Thomas Doyle I hereby sentence you to two years imprisonment and make you not able to apply for parole."

Maria swallowed hard, however she didn't know about her fathers condition. He had an aneurysm around his heart and he only had months to live.

Shane got up and walked out. He went and sat outside and he sighed.

Jasmine looked at Maria, "You did this."

Maria sighed and like a bitter pill, she swallowed her pride and everything that went with it. Nina held back tears and walked off.

4 weeks later...

"So here we are." Nina muttered.

"Yeah." Maria said quietly, "You'll be twenty when I get out."

"You should've pleaded guilty.

"What would have been the point?"

"You would've had less of a sentence."

Maria sighed and took her hand, "I love you."

"I love you too but I can't do this. I can't wait for you. I have my life. Two years is a long time." Nina sighed.

"Please no. Don't do this."

"It was good while it lasted." She sighed standing up before walking away.

Maria sighed and sat back and ran her hand down her face, "Nina, Nina. Nina." She gasped.

Shane then walked in, limping with his walking stick. He had told Clara to stay in the car because he had to do this on his own.

He had to tell her he was dying.

"Dad." She smiled and stood up and hugged him.

"Hello." He smiled, before sitting down.

"Dad before you- I forgive you for this. Mum is very mad. I bet she's happy I'm here."

"No. No. I wouldn't be sure of that." He smiled.

"So why are you here?"

"To see you amongst other things. Maria I won't be around when you get out."

"What?"

"Maria-"

"Don't leave dad. I'm sorry."

"Maria it isn't you."

"Then why won't you be around?"

Shane went quiet and put his head in his hands, "How do I tell you?"

Maria started worrying, "I can help you."

"Not this time." He gasped with tears in his eyes, "Maria I am so, so so sorry. I er...I will be long, long gone by the time you get out."

"You're scaring me. Tell me-"

"I'm dying Maria! I'm- I'm dying." He gasped, "I was going to start everything again once you got out. Have days out. Spend every last penny I had on you because I was never a good enough dad."

Maria swallowed hard and held back tears, "Is it cancer?"

"No. It's just a growth. Listen. Your mum won't ever allow you back home and you understand why. This might be the last time I ever see you and I understand everything hasn't been as good as it could've been." He said, sliding his wedding ring off, "Keep this and take care of yourself." He said as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Dad...I'm so so sorry." She gasped.

Shane looked at her and took a deep breath and as he did he found he couldn't move. He tried to, but his body strained and Maria stood up, "Dad?" She gasped. As he started fitting Maria helped him onto the floor and got him onto his side, "Come on dad. Don't do this." She gasped, "Dad!"

Prison guards pulled her away and got the hall cleared, "DAD!" She screamed and struggled against them.

Maria broke down in tears as she got left in her cell. She hit the door several times over and her cell mate got down from her bed and put her arm around her, "Calm down eh? Tell me. Tell me what's up."

"My dad, he's dying." She gasped, collapsing to the floor, clutching onto Shane's ring.

"It's okay love I've got you." Her cellmate sighed.

Part 9... In his and her heart

"Right...What do we do now? He had a seizure." Maria's cellmate asked her a while later.

"I um...can't do much. Stuck in here." Maria laughed slightly, looking down at the ring in her hand, "Nina has dumped me too."

"You never asked my name after all this time."Her cellmate sighed.

"Why are you here anyway? Beautiful blonde woman like you." Maria smiled slightly.

"My name is Sarah. I'm nineteen." She smiled, "I'm here because of being drunken and disorderly and assaulting a police officer."

"I stabbed my mum in the back literally. I was angry. I saw her sister, kissing my dad. Well he isn't my dad...It's just...It happened." She sighed.

"Blimey your life sounds worse than mine."

"How so?"

" I come from a rich family. Yeah, they are too stuck up their own-"

"Tell me about it." She sighed, "How come you have two and a half years?"

"Charges were pressed."She sighed.

3 Days later...

"Morning Shane what can I do for you?" Clara asked as he walked into her office. She held the door open as he walked in.

"Thanks." He sighed and sat down, "Funeral arrangements." He sighed, "Needs to be done and I have sent things to Maria for her to design my tombstone, headstone, whatever you want to call it."

Clara sighed and kissed him, not pulling back. Shane kissed her back and ran his hands through her hair, "I'll miss this." He sighed.

"You know, I will." Clara sighed, "What do you want for your funeral?"

"Jasmine, you and Maria to be there because you are the only family I have. Maria...Oh my god.. How do I talk to her when I can't see her again?" He gasped.

Clara sighed and kissed his forehead, "You could always write an afterword for when after you've gone. Either me or Jasmine could give it to her. Or we could send it to her in the post."

Shane went quiet and held back tears, "I'm really scared Clara. I'm really really scared." He gasped struggling to breathe.

"It's okay, it's going to be okay." She sighed, hugging him, "It will be alright." She gasped as he broke down finally.

Twenty minutes later...

Shane had figured out all the arrangements and handed his afterword to Clara. He stood up slowly and looked at Clara. They stared at each other for a moment. Shane then cleared his throat to break the ice, "I will see you tonight."

"Shane." Clara sighed as he stood with his walking stick.

He turned back around and lost his balance. Clara caught him and as she did she looked in his eyes and saw just how vulnerable and scared he was. She put her hand on his cheek and held back tears, "How come she never saw this side of you eh?"

"Always too scared to tell me the truth. Or I have never been more scared of anything in my life." He gasped, trying to regain his balance, "I've never loved any other woman apart from Jasmine so why do I find myself falling for you?"

" Or you and her were over for a long time and despite your attempts, it was never going to work again anyway. Shane you have me and as long as I am here, you have nothing to be afraid of. I promise you."

"Mrs Dawn I understand that have a duty but my...fiance...He's dying and I need time with him." Clara said to the deputy head in a bid to leave the school for a few weeks, "He has a growth around his heart-"

"Miss Oswald I'm sorry but you are the head of this school."

"Stuff the bloody school! He's dying! I love him! Shane come on." Clara sighed, walking off. Shane kept hold of her, however he couldn't walk quickly and it scared him everytime he thought he couldn't do anything.

"It's okay." Clara said softly, "It's all going to be okay." She sighed.

10pm...

Shane was wearing a grey striped shirt and black jeans. After his rough day he settled down in bed beside Clara, "It's weird all of this." Shane said quietly.

"It will get better."Clara replied softly, "You haven't even got changed yet."

"Sorry. It's too much energy." He sighed.

"Want me to help you?" She asked, sitting up.

"Would you mind?"

"Shane. Its okay to ask for help." Clara smiled slightly.

Shane then sat up, being careful of how he was doing it, "Sorry." He gasped, due to him being slow.

"Don't be." She smiled. She waited until he sat up properly, "Ready?"

"Yeah, but be careful." He sighed.

Clara smiled slightly and walked over to him and knelt down as she undid his shirt buttons.

"I'm only 42." He laughed, "I always imagined that someone would be doing this when I get to old age."

"This was a terrible thing. Maybe it shouldn't have happened but it has but we all have to live with the consequences." Clara said softly and looked up at Shane and saw tears forming in his eyes, "Shane?"

"Why did I have to bloody arrest her?" He scolded himself, beat himself up.

"Shane. She stabbed my sister. You did your job."

"I had a heart attack." He said seriously.

"It was a relapse."

"It happened in front of her!"

Clara sat beside him, "Stop getting flustered. It does you no favours."

"You talk like Jasmine used to to me." He smiled.

Clara smiled in return and kissed him. Shane kissed back and for a brief moment Clara pulled away, "Don't get too excited. Not that- well it could-your heart-"

"Clara don't worry." Shane smiled, "I could die any day anyway. I would rather die with you in your arms."

Clara smiled and kissed him, not pulling away. Shane pushed her back slowly and kissed her neck, "Shane." She gasped.

"I know." He smiled and carried on before he stopped, "Clara." He panicked.

"Shane. Shane look at me, you're okay. Calm down." She gasped and passed him a glass of water, "Drink it and breathe."She gasped, rubbing his back.

Shane drank slowly and clung onto her. Once he got his breath back, he broke down in tears and Clara kept hold of him,"It's okay." She gasped and kissed his cheek.

Half an hour later Clara managed to get Shane to go to sleep and once she was sure that he was asleep, she got up and went to the house phone.

'Look at your watch now, you're still a super hot female, you got you're million dollar contract and they're all waiting for your hot track. what you waitin', what you waitin', what you what you waitin', what you waitin', what you waitin' for?' Rang Jasmine's phone with the ringtone being Gwen Stefani's 'What you waiting for?'.

Jasmine picked up eventually, "What do you want?" She said arrogantly.

"Jasmine please drop the jealous act. You and him were over a while ago."

"It's your fault that we are all where we are." Jasmine snapped, "It's half past ten, why are you calling me at this time?"

"I'm really worried. About him."

"So?" She replied, trying to act tough when she was as equally concerned with Shane as Clara was.

"He asked me to help undress him earlier because he was scared of his heart doing too much work. Then...Then we tried to have sex-"

"Typical."

"Jasmine. Please, I need someone to talk to and you are the only person I have right now."

"Sorry. Sorry Clara." Jasmine sighed, "Carry on."

"Yeah, so we tried to have sex and he just had a panic attack. I'm really worried about him."

"I'm worrying about what I'll tell Maria once he has gone."

"Yeah, he also beat himself up about that as well."

"He was doing his job."

"That's what I told him." She sighed, "Jasmine he is so scared." She said with tears in her eyes and Jasmine could hear it in her voice.

"Clara stay strong yeah? You're doing fantastically. Please. Clara I hate hearing you like this." She sighed, "You are keeping him going. You are all he needs right now."

"Yeah but how long do I do it for?" Clara gasped as tears streamed down her cheeks, "I love him and I'm going to lose it. I'm going to lose him."

"Clara. You will be there with him all the time. Maria knows that was the last time she saw him unless you put a request in to visit her."

Clara went quiet and turned around, pulling the phone away from her ear slightly and she just watched to see if Shane was still breathing and thankfully he was.

"Clara? You there?"

"Still here. Sorry. Just seeing if he was still breathing."

"The Doctors said he had days."

"That's what is petrifying him. He is clinging onto life and believe me he is fighting."

"All we can do is pray for him. I will book an emergency visit because between you and I..." Jasmine said before going quiet.

"Jas?" Clara asked quietly.

"Sorry...Yeah between you and I..." Jasmine then went quiet again, trying to be strong.

"Just tell me sis." Clara said softly.

"I don't think he will make it through the weekend." She gasped, finally breaking down in tears herself.

"Jasmine. Jasmine listen to me. We have to be strong for each other yeah?"

"It's like losing her all over again, Debbie."

"I know sis I know. I want to be with you. But I have to take care of him." She sighed

"Yeah." Jasmine said quietly before putting the phone down and going to her room

Maria sat awake in her cell on the top bunk, just clutching onto the ring in her hand. She was praying quietly with tears streaming down her cheeks. She swallowed hard and as she started to struggle to breathe, Sarah got up and hugged her, "Its going to be alright eh?" She sighed, rubbing her back.

"He could die at any moment. He could be dead now for all I know."

"No I don't think so." She smiled, "I think with how close you are...I think you'd feel it, you'd know."

"Like the horrible de ja vu feeling?"

"Yeah."

"It's like I'm waiting for his death to come but I don't want it to. He sent me some stuff so I could design his gravestone. I've done it." She sighed.

"I think you are really brave." She smiled slightly.

Maria smiled slightly and after a moment, she went to kiss her.

Sarah pushed her away slowly, "I'm sorry Maria but I'm not...I'm not a lesbian." She sighed, "You are upset, distraught and I really am sorry for you but we can't ever work."

"Sorry. My mistake." Maria said quietly.

"I'm going to go to bed. Get some sleep, it will do you some good." Sarah smiled and kissed her cheek, "I'm here for you." She then got down and got into bed.

Maria turned over and went to sleep and it wasn't long until she was fast on.

"What time is it?" Shane asked Clara waking up from his sleep.

"Twenty past twelve." Clara said, looking at her phone.

"You've been crying."

"Shane I'm really worried about you."

"I'm fighting fit." He smiled, "Don't worry."

"You're seeing Maria tomorrow."

"I've already said goodbye to her once. Granted it didn't go well but-"

" She is your daughter. She won't be able to see you next week-"

"Clara please don't do this." He hissed.

"I'm sorry." She sighed.

"I'm just really scared. The earth will carry on turning but my time will have ran out. Maria will live on and I'll..I'll just be forgotten." He said, holding back tears.

Clara looked down at him and saw the upset once again, "No Shane that is where you are wrong. You will be remembered forever. Maria won't forget. I won't. Jasmine won't...Shane no one will forget you."

"I never got the chance to be a dad." He said as a tear fell down one of his cheeks, "I never had any kids that belonged to me. I never moved on. Me and Jasmine were constantly at each others throats when all the time all Maria wanted is me, you and Jasmine as a family. She won't even get that. What she will get is half of my lifetimes earnings and all my love. What I have left." Shane then went quiet, listening to his heartbeat, "I don't want to go." He gasped and Clara hugged him and tears streamed down her cheeks, "I know. I know. I love you."

Part 10... Scarring.

Shane and Clara sat in the waiting room at the prison the next day. Clara noticed how quiet Shane was and she took his hand. Shane looked down slowly and squeezed her hand lightly.

The pair just sat in silence and Clara leaned on his shoulder before she looked up at him, "Shane."

"Yeah?" He asked, still staring at the wall in front of himself.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm dying but apart from that I am far from average." He replied before their number was called.

Clara helped Shane stand up and was with him every step of the way until they got to the visiting room.

Shane walked slowly and even when he did that, he felt his energy just going. His blood pressure rose as did his heartbeat, "Clara." He gasped.

Clara turned to him and saw him going red, "Shane. You're panicking. Just calm down." She said to him softly. She then helped him to the floor and knelt beside him, "I'll get you some water okay?"

"Is everything alright madam?" A prison guard asked.

"Yeah, yeah it is. Could you get us some water please from the canteen?" Clara asked him as Shane clung to her hand.

"Of course." He replied before walking to the canteen.

Maria came out from her cell and walked down to the visiting room. When she got there she saw something she thought she would never see again. Her dad. She saw that he was in a bad way and it shook her up quite a bit, "Dad." She gasped before running over and kneeling down to him, "Dad I'm here." She gasped.

"Hello you. Sorry about this, my legs just needed a rest." He smiled trying to be reassuring.

"Here you go. Drink this." Clara said to him as the prison guard gave her a cup of water. Shane drank it slowly and saw the two prison guards behind Maria.

"Maria. You know the rules. Get to your seat." One of them instructed and this angered Shane which didn't help the situation.

"With all due respect officer, she is my daughter and I won't be able to move another inch so if I have to talk to her from down here I will!"

"But sir-"

"It's Shane, and I understand you have rules because I'm an ex copper myself but I...I am dying. I really haven't got long left so please just let us talk here."

"Alright. Just this once." One of them said before walking off.

"Dad...How long do you think you've got?" Maria asked quietly. Clara then looked at her remembering what Jasmine said the night before and swallowed hard.

Shane looked up slowly at her, "I really don't know love, I really don't...You have to promise me that you will be strong and help your mother and Clara out the best you can once I'm gone."

"I promise." She smiled slightly and sat beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Are you two alright a minute whilst I just go to the toilet?" Clara asked them.

"Yeah. You're fine." Shane smiled slightly.

Clara got up and walked off. When she got to the toilets, she went over to a sink and poured her emotions out and broke down in tears unable to take the strain anymore. Clara really didn't know what to do with herself. She was under so much pressure looking after Shane, she was scared of waking up and finding Shane dead. She didn't want him dead.

"So did you get what I sent in the post?" Shane asked Maria.

"Yeah. Not the most likely thing I'd want in the post but I've designed it."

"Good girl." He sighed and kissed her forehead.

"Dad. I love you to bits and I know we haven't had the best of times together but you were and are the best dad ever."

"Thank you." He smiled and took a deep breath and held back tears, "You were the best daughter ever. I am giving you half of my lifetimes earnings and the rest can go to your mum."

"Why her?"

"Because she was the first. She made mistakes. We all have. She deserves something back."

"So will this be the last time?"

" The last time we see each other? Yeah...I think it might be." He sighed. He saw tears streaming down Maria's cheeks and kept hold of her, "I love you." He whispered.

Maria kept hold of Shane and when it was time to go, Maria clung to him and he clung to her just as much.

Sarah saw them and walked over to her, "Maria come on." She said softly. Shane looked up at her, "You know her?"

"I'm, I'm her cellmate. Sarah." She smiled slightly.

"Sarah. Nice name." He smiled slightly.

"Want help standing back up?" Sarah asked him politely.

"Please." He smiled slightly, "Maria let go."

Maria eventually stood up and let go of him. She helped him up and hugged him one more time as Clara walked back in.

"Look after yourself, your mum and Clara. And don't ever forget me." He smiled slightly and hugged Maria once more.

"I will do everything. I just... I don't want you to go." She gasped.

"I don't want to leave you either but I have to." He sighed and kept hold of her tightly, "Sarah will look after you. She seems nice enough." He smiled.

Maria pulled away and held back tears, "After all these years. After all our fights and everything. You have been the most amazing dad ever. Before you go. I love you and I will never forget about you. I won't let anyone forget you. Thank you." She smiled.

"You are really really welcome and after being in here. Try and stay out. There are career criminals in here and-"

"Dad. I know."

"Well then. Good luck and I wish you all the best. Goodbye then." He sighed and kissed her forehead before walking away slowly. Maria held back tears but felt Maria taking her hand.

"Shane." Clara said to him softly.

"Clara please don't. That just really hurt." He sighed.

Back at Jasmine's...

Shane sat at the kitchen table with a cup of black coffee and he just sat tapping a 20p coin on the table. He had been given the final design of his gravestone at Maria's request on a photo. Shane adored it. It was engraved with gold writing and had bright blue lights around the edges and a little plaque at the top of everything. That held a picture of a flame torch in the hand of an angel.

Jasmine stay quiet and didn't know what to say to him. She didn't want to end up in an all out war with him and she didn't want to say goodbye. Silence just filled the room and every now and then, Shane tapped the coin on the table.

"It's beautiful." Shane said quietly, staring down at the photo's of the gravestone.

"She has always thought the world of you. I always tried to block you out but when she found those pictures...I couldn't pretend you didn't exist anymore because you did." Jasmine said in a low tone.

"Once I'm gone you have to let her back into your world. Into your home, I won't have her on the streets." He sneered.

"It's not happening."

"Why not? She is your daughter."

"She lost that right ages ago. She stabbed me."

"In a moment of madness, Jasmine she needs stability. She has leaned on me for that but soon I won't be here."

Jasmine stood up and sighed, "I've had enough of this." She sighed, walking over to the sink.

Shane stood up, "So you are saying the only person she has is her auntie!?"

"Yes I am."

"You are being way out of order! She realises that she has done wrong-"

"Good for her."

"But she has a long stretch behind bars. She only did one small mistake because she got mad! Hormones all over the place and maybe me and Clara pushed her too far-"

"Too right you did."

"YOU JUST NEED TO GROW UP JASMINE! YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO NEEDS YOU!"

"I don't have a daughter."

"YOU ARE ON VERY THIN ICE!"

"Oh and what will you do? You will be dead and buried by the time she get's out."

"I COULD KILL YA!"

"GO ON THEN SHANE! Just do it! Stop making threats. It doesn't make you look clever. It just make you look pathetic."

Shane swallowed hard and pinned her into the wall, "Now. You will listen to me. If you don't look after Maria, if you fail to. I will have people watching. I can make your life hell, even from beyond the grave. We clear?"

Jasmine nodded slowly and when Shane let go, she just stared at him, "Maybe getting rid of you will be the best thing for Maria. If only she knew what you were really like."

Shane smiled to himself, and got his walking stick, "No Jasmine. Maria will always think the best of me and that is how it will always be." He said before walking out.

Part 11... Uncertainty

Jasmine walked up the stairs of Shane's flat and got to his door and knocked slowly. She waited for a while before she heard the key in the door. The hall was lit up by lights and there were fire extinguishers on the walls between every two doors.

The door opened slowly and Jasmine looked up.

"Fancy seeing you here." Shane said in a sly tone.

"We need to talk. About our daughter." She said quietly.

"Come in then. Luckily for you Clara is out." He said, walking away from the door, into the living room, "Red or white?" He asked her, going over to a table.

"Shane you don't have to do that." She sighed.

Shane sat down slowly and sighed, "I need some independence. So you want to talk about Maria. So do I."

Jasmine took her coat off and looked at him. To her he looked so well in the face but inside she knew he was crumbling. Shane passed her a glass of white wine and sat beside her, "I'm giving Maria half of my lifetimes earnings and the other half I will give to you. You were the first woman in my life and despite the stupid mistakes that you've made...I'm going to try not to choke saying this but erm...I love you...But not in that way anymore."

"That's why you have my sister." She muttered, drinking from her glass. Shane sighed and sat back, "I'm with her because I love her. Properly."

"Sorry. I thought we were talking about our daughter!?" Jasmine snapped.

"You just can't stand it can you? Your sister being happy?"

Jasmine laughed sarcastically, "Shane its you I can't stand. You like to pretend you are so perfect-"

"I never said that."

"I can't wait until you are beneath this earth because you make me sick! I loved you once-"

"For crying out loud. This is getting boring. Maria-"

"Maria was never anything to you. You threatened me earlier. Your threats don't scare me. Shane if you say you love me as much as you think you do, you wouldn't let anyone lay a glove on me." Jasmine hissed.

"I'M ONLY ASKING YOU TO LOOK AFTER MARIA AFTER I AM GONE!"

"I will never look after her again! I don't do sympathy votes. She can have Clara because I don't want her."

"You're a selfish cow, you know that?" Shane laughed.

"She will only carry on her obsession with you once she is out. For all I care...She can get shot."

Shane sighed and stood up. He walked over to the table across the room and picked up his phone.

"What are you doing?" Jasmine asked him.

"Calling a few mates to take care of some business. Jasmine...I did warn ya."

Jasmine stood up suddenly, "Shane, listen to me. You understand why I don't want her."

"But you don't have to be such a cold hearted bitch!" He snarled.

Jasmine panicked and tried to think of something to stop him before she saw a picture frame. She sighed and picked it up and hit him around the head with it once. Shane fell to the floor, but he didn't fall unconscious, "You stupid bitch!" He gasped.

"CALL IT OFF! STOP BEING A PAIN! I DON'T WANT MY DAUGHTER BACK SO DEAL WITH IT!"

"What will you do about it?"

Jasmine went quiet and thought about it, "I'll...I'll call the police."

"And tell them what? You attacked me!"

"I could say that I was provoked." She said, her voice was trembling because even though Shane was on the floor, she was worried about what he would do. She dropped the picture frame and ran over to the oak draws and found a shoe lace. Whilst Shane still couldn't see properly, she tied his hands together, but not tight enough.

"This is just stupid Jasmine! I'm dying anyway."

"There you go again with the sympathy vote! I don't care if you're dying. I just care that Maria will forget that you ever existed!" Jasmine snapped.

"That will be very hard since she loves me more than she loves you."

Jasmine sighed and picked up his walking stick and raised it, "No one will know how you died. They might think its your mates."

"You don't have the guts to kill me. We have history you and me. You could get sent down for murder. Do you really want to chance that? What would Maria think? She would never want to see you again." Shane sneered, "You do this, you are putting the whole family in danger."

"I will take all of your money. Killing you will be the best thing I have ever done." Jasmine snarled in his ear.

"You stupid cow! I'm already dying! Oh...What about your Debbie eh? She was so precious to you and like I will be, she is six foot under and unlike me..."

"What?" She snarled, holding his stick firmly in the air.

"She deserved it." He snarled and stood up and managed to get the shoe lace from around his wrists.

Jasmine swallowed thickly and kept hold of the stick, "Get down Shane." She gasped.

"Jasmine. I won't hurt you. Stop playing pathetic little games."

"I loved Debbie more than I loved anyone. I loved her more than I ever loved you!"

Shane just stood there, staring at her. He didn't want to hurt her, "I don't see why we are doing this. Why you are going on."

"You can say all you like about Debbie. Why are you slagging her off?"

"Because I'm making you see that this is what you are doing to Maria! She is in a prison cell, locked away whilst you have your happy go lucky life! I love you, her and Maria!"

Jasmine went quiet and swallowed hard as he limped away from her. At the last minute, she hit him with his walking stick and went into a rage, hitting him multiple times. She stooped when she saw a pool of blood pouring from his head. Walking over to his body, Jasmine went to check his pulse and noticed he had a weak one. She quickly got her phone out and called for an ambulance.

Before she left, she wiped her fingerprints from the stick and cleaned all the traces of her being there and she left the flat and went back home and pretended that nothing happened.

"Ooh hopefully this is him now." Clara smiled. She had been with Nina for a majority of the evening, enjoying a few drinks. None were alcoholic because Clara knew that she'd have to drive back to check on Shane.

Clara picked up her phone and answered, "Shane?"

"Is this miss Oswald?"

"Yes it is. What's happened? Is Shane alright?"

"I'm Shane's Doctor. Shane got rushed into hospital earlier after we had a call saying that he was found unconscious, however when paramedics found him...He was dead...I'm so sorry." Doctor Valentine told her.

Clara's heart fell. She expected him to pass away, but not this quick. She stood in silence for a moment, "It was his heart. It finally gave way on him."

"That doesn't seem to be the case."

"Sorry, sorry what? He had a growth in his heart. What do you mean, that doesn't seem to be the case?" She gasped.

Nina stared at her and saw that her world was crumbling down.

"Shane appears to have had severe blows to the head...It looks like he's been murdered." The Doctor replied.

Clara put her hand on her mouth in disbelief and tears streamed down her cheeks, "I'll be there."

"Police will want to question you. I'm sorry for your loss." The Doctor sighed as Clara put the phone down.

"Clara. What was said?" Nina asked quietly.

"His heart didn't give way...They found him after someone called them...He had severe blows to the head and now there will be a full on police investigation."

"That's the last thing you need." Nina sighed, "I'm very sorry." She sighed and hugged her, "Do you want me to come to the hospital with you?"

"Please." She asked, trying to stop herself from crying.

Jasmine sat at the kitchen table with Clara and Nina the next morning to hear the news. Clara sat across the table and Nina sat next to Jasmine.

"Jasmine we have some news for you...It's not good I'm afraid." Nina said softly to her. Jasmine stayed quiet expecting the worst and tried not to let her guilt show, "What...What is it?" She asked quietly.

"Clara do you want me to-" Nina asked.

"No, no it's fine."Clara sighed. She slowly took Jasmine's hands. She felt them shaking, "You're shaking sis." She gasped, looking up at her.

"I'm expecting to hear the worst...I just...I didn't think it would come this soon." Jasmine sighed, lying through her teeth.

"It gets worse...His heart didn't give way...He was attacked. He had several blows to his head." Clara sighed as a tear streamed down her cheek.

"How do I tell her? Maria. She has got to find out."

"Shane wrote something for her to read once he'd gone...I just need to send it in the post."

"Do they know who attacked him?" Jasmine asked quietly.

"The police are looking into it and...They think that whoever called the hospital had a guilty conscience and ran off so, so they think that whoever called them was the one who killed him."

"What are the police doing?"

"Well they have identified the mobile as being with the o2 service and they are still tracking it." Clara replied. Jasmine swallowed hard and got her phone out, she looked at the o2 symbol at the top and sighed, "Maria...It's just...how I tell her."

"Shane has...In a letter. She should get it tomorrow. I've sent it first class."

"There's post for you." Sarah sighed, passing post to Maria.

Maria opened the envelope and held a letter in her hand. She looked at Sarah slowly.

"What is it?" Sarah asked softly.

Maria swallowed hard and decided to read it, "Maria, by the time you get this I will have..." Maria held back tears and Sarah sat beside her and put an arm around her, "Should I read it?" She asked Maria softly.

Maria nodded slowly.

Sarah took the letter and started to read it, "...I will have passed away. Everything has been taken care of and I have set you up a separate back account which has up to seven grand in and like we discussed, your mum has the other half. However I have decided that Clara should get some as well.

Your gravestone design...I adore it and that will be created and everything is in place for my funeral as well.

I want to say sorry for getting you arrested and getting you put where you are, just do your dad a favour and once you're out. Stay out.

One last thing...

I didn't have any kids of my own but you were enough. I love you to bits and that's one thing I want you to remember, despite all that happens..." Sarah looked slowly at Maria and hugged her, "It's alright." She said quietly.

"I know...Just...Carry on." Maria sighed, wiping her tear stained face with her sleeve.

"...I love you and I want to be remembered. That's all.

"Have a brilliant life and keep memories of me alive. Look after Clara and your mum.

Thank you for everything. On the upside I have left a little something for you. Inside the envelope you will find two tickets to go and see Blondie live. I won't be with you, but maybe you could take Clara along with you.

Goodbye Maria and remember that I am always here, you need me just look up at the sky and find the brightest star. That star will be me." Sarah finished and she looked at Maria and saw how torn up she was and just kept hold of her, "He's at peace now." She said quietly. Maria thought her father just died of natural causes, it would eat away at her if she found out that he was murdered.

Clara sat down in the living room with a cup of tea unaware that Shane's killer was just across the room. Nina had stuck around, although her mum told her to give the family some space, she decided not to. Clara and Jasmine were her friends and she stuck to her instinct and decided to stick around for support.

Jasmine instantly felt sick whenever she heard a knock at the door. Earlier on she had snapped her sim card and had become really quiet. Clara thought this was her way of grieving and decided to leave it alone.

"Nina why are you still here?" Clara asked softly.

"I'm being support. Mum has told me to leave you guys alone but...You are both grieving and need some support...You need that.." She said softly.

Clara smiled slightly, "We are both grown ups."

"I know. But still." She smiled as there was a knock at the door. Jasmine looked up and once again felt sick. Nina went and answered the door and two police officers walked in with the D.I. Jasmine stood up and Clara saw how panicked she looked and this made her suspicious.

"Evening Clara, Jasmine and Nina wasn't it?" The D.I announced.

"It was. I'm supporting them."

"That's good. Right well...We have identified the weapon which was used to attack PC Doyle was his walking stick which he used to support his balance. We have also identified fingerprints which were found on it." The D.I told them.

Clara's hopes were raised as she wanted to know who killed her lover, "Who? Who do the fingerprints belong to?"

The D.I walked over to Jasmine, and handcuffed her, "Jasmine Thomas I am arresting you for the murder of Shane Doyle. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court, anything you do say may be given as evidence. Do you understand?"

Jasmine swallowed hard and looked at Clara. Jasmine didn't want to get caught out, but it seemed that she had.

"There must be some mistake." Nina gasped.

"No." Clara said fighting back tears, looking at Jasmine, "I don't think any mistake has been made." She then walked over to her slowly, "You had it in for him. He was a sick man, dying anyway so why? Why did you kill him Jasmine?"

"There's been a mistake made."Jasmine said quietly, "He was my husband, I would never kill him."

Clara then slapped her, "For your sake. I hope you're telling the truth." She snarled in her face before the police took her away.

Later on Jasmine was sat in an interview room. She had a solicter sat beside her and a cup of water on the table before the D.I walked in and a police officer sat beside him.

"2nd of May 2030 at 16:58. Suspect, Jasmine Thomas. Jasmine you have been charged with the murder of Shane Doyle at this current time. Any questions asked should be answered in full unless you wish not to. Do you understand?" The D.I asked after switching on a recorder to record the interview

"Yes." She said quietly.

"Where were you on the night Shane Doyle was found with severe blows to the head on the 29th April?"

"I was with him. He provoked me which is what made me hit him."

"So you are not denying that you struck him?"

"No. Don't see the point. I killed him. Just get me sent to court and get it over and done with." She sighed.

The D.I leaned back, "Interview suspended at 17:05." He then turned off the recorder before telling the officer next to him, "Take her to her cell."

Part 12... A guilty conscience

Two weeks later Jasmine found herself in court and having to face a long sentence and Clara had been feeling guilty ever since she hurt her sister. She was leaned against the kitchen sink and Nina was upstairs, getting ready to go to college.

When Nina comes down she finds that Clara has thrown up in the kitchen sink, "Hey what's wrong?" She asks and rubs her back slowly.

"Jasmine is in court today...I can't let her go down for it." She gasped.

Nina is shocked with this, "You have to. She killed Shane."

"Yes I know but-" She gasped, wiping her mouth.

"Jasmine killed him and what makes it worse is that she hates her own daughter. Clara you are the only support that Maria has."

Clara turned around and looked at her slowly, "I have to do this. Jasmine could get years."

"And so could you."Nina urged. As Clara got her coat on, Nina ran to the doorway in an attempt to stop Clara from leaving, "I'm not letting you do this." She warned.

"She is my sister-" Clara started before Nina interrupted, "So you keep saying."

Clara then got really annoyed with her. She didn't understand why Nina wanted her to stay so badly, "What is it with you?" She snapped, "Why won't you just let me take the blame?"

Nina then went quiet and started to panic. She didn't want to let her go, not at all, "Because...You just can't."

"Nina. Let me out of my own home, I'm seriously warning you now."

"You have everything you have ever worked for and Maria.

Clara then felt her chest burning and she fought all the tears she felt coming, "I will not forgive you for this if she goes down. Seriously. Nina get it off of your chest what you want to tell me."

"I LOVE YOU!" Nina shouted.

Clara smiled sarcastically, "I haven't got time for this."

Nina sighed and gave in, "Fine. You want to do this, let me come with you." She sighed getting her jacket.

Upon arrival at the court Nina sat beside Clara and stares at her. She needs to convince her that Jasmine has what has been coming to her.

"Clara. I'm warning you, if you take the blame for this it's not not just your or her life you are putting on the line. It's your relationship with Maria that will also get affected." Nina warned her.

"I have to do this Nina. Jasmine made a mistake." Clara replied with her voice trembling.

"You don't have to fix it. Clara please." Nina pleaded.

Clara held back tears because she understood what she was doing and she understood all that she could lose through this. She is so desperate for her sister not to take the blame and she looked down slowly as she felt Nina's hand on top of hers on the gearstick. A tear fell down her cheek. She then leaned forward and kissed Nina and didn't pull back for a moment.

"Please Clara. You don't have to do this." Nina said to her when she was still close to her. Tears now flowed down her cheeks too.

"Neither does my sister." Clara said quietly as she pulled away and looked out of the car window.

"She killed him!" Nina gasped, "Clara I'm begging you. Maria will be expecting you when she gets out."

"Manslaughter." Clara gasped, taking a deep breath, "If I just fess up to that-"

"All of this. It amounts to murder. There is no manslaughter about it. Clara I'm begging you...If you love me...You won't do this."

"God this is so hard." Clara gasped, wiping her eyes.

"It doesn't have to be. Come home. Clara please." Nina begged.

"I'm so sorry Nina." Clara gasped, getting out of the car.

Nina followed Clara eventually but stops halfway down the hall when she realises that there is no stopping her.

Clara burst into the courtroom unexpectedly and everyone in the room stared at her and Jasmine was even more confused. Guards got hold of her before she called out, "Will you all just listen to me please just listen to me! She didn't kill him." She said, looking up at Jasmine.

"Clara please don't do this." Jasmine gasped, realising what she was doing.

"On the night that he died Jasmine was looking after him. I got jealous and I struck him. I attacked him. In cold blood." She said holding back tears whilst Jasmine was on the brink of breaking down.

Clara then looked up at Jasmine, "I'm sorry for letting it get this far. I'm not letting you take the blame for something that I did."

"Clara no!" She gasped, "You can't do this I'm begging you."

Clara swallowed hard before looking at everyone in the courtroom as her sister was crumbling inside,"I killed Shane Doyle. I killed him and then I threatened Jasmine. I told her if she didn't confess, she would get what is coming to her."

At Clara's court hearing she had been sentenced to five years imprisonment for murder. This meant that Maria would be without her auntie. Her auntie was the one person she knew she could trust. However at this point Maria never even knew about what was going on. She just wondered why Clara wasn't with her at her dad's funeral. Maria was basically alone at the funeral. Jasmine wouldn't go near her. The only support Maria had was Nina and Sarah.

At the prison visit, Clara walked over to a prison gate and when she saw both Jasmine and Nina she couldn't help but smile. Jasmine saw that her sister looked rough and she couldn't stand it.

15 minutes had passed and none of the girls had said anything, so Clara decided to break the silence, "Jasmine you have to tell Maria that I killed her dad."

Nina looked at her confused, "That doesn't make any sense. Maria trusted you of all people as much as she trusted Shane so why turn her against you?"

Clara looked at her briefly before she looked at Jasmine, "To make sure that they become mother and daughter again. That is the only reason why I took the blame for what she did."

Nina couldn't comprehend what she was hearing, "What about me?"

Clara swallowed hard and played with the engagement ring on her finger before looking up at her holding back tears, "This family is poison." She smiled, "Look at it. I mean...I have five years. Maria has two. Nina I'm sorry but you can't- we weren't ever going to work. The day that I kissed you...I was just scared."

Nina sighed and looked at the floor. After a moment she looked back up at her, "I'll wait for you."

"No. Neither of you will." She said, looking in between Jasmine and Nina, " Jasmine when Maria get's out I want to see her. I want to tell her everything that I didn't do just to make sure for God's sake that you live how you should."

Jasmine then interrupted, "But you're my sister- I won't abandon you like that and Maria won't like it."

Clara then sighed, "Maria will hate me anyway. It won 't make any difference. I just want to start again. None of it is anyone's fault...You killed Shane and I loved him to bits and the truth is... I don't want you Jasmine anywhere near me after I've seen her. I never want to see you again." She sighed and held back tears, however she meant every word. She told her sister how she felt, however she took into account how Nina also felt. Clara was letting go of the pains of the past and this seemed to be the only way.

"Hello baby." Jasmine sighed talking to Maria on the phone later that night.

"Why are you being nice? Why didn't you come anywhere near me at dad's funeral?" Maria snapped.

"Because I have something terrible to tell you and I'm not sure how I'm going to tell you."

"Just spit it out." Maria snapped.

"Your auntie Clara...She killed your dad. Before his heart even gave way...She killed him. She threatened me. She forced me to go to prison. She told me that I would get what was coming to me if I didn't." Jasmine sighed, knowing she was lying through her back teeth like Clara told her to.

"Auntie Clara? That doesn't make any sense. She loved him. Why would she do that?"

"I don't know babe, I don't know. I'm so sorry."

"Right.. Speak later." She said quietly before putting the phone down.

Maria sat beside Sarah on her bed and leaned on her shoulder, "It doesn't make any sense."

"What doesn't?" Maria asked softly.

"Auntie Clara killed him apparently."

"Was she the one who was with him at the prison that last time?" She frowned.

"Yeah. She was."

"Well she seemed stressed from that day I saw her."

"Must've been." She sighed, "I love you."

Sarah kissed her, "I love you too."

Part 13...There's no good in goodbye

2 Years later...

Maria had been released and whilst Jasmine waited outside Maria went to see her auntie. Maria walked down the hall and sat down and waited for Clara.

Five minutes passed and finally Maria saw her.

"Got you a brew." Maria smiled as Clara came over.

"You've changed a bit. In a good way." Clara smiled and hugged her tightly.

"I'm 18 now." Maria smiled and sat down opposite her, "Anyway long time no see."

"Thanks for the brew." Clara smiled, "How've you been?"

"I have been fantastic. I just don't understand why you are in here." She sighed.

Clara swallowed hard, "If you've been deducting, you would be wrong."

"Nah, I moved on from that and found something better." She smiled.

"Really?" Clara smiled.

Maria then looked over at Sarah who was sat talking to her parents and pointed at her, "Her."

"Was she your cellmate?" Clara smiled, delighted that she managed to get through two years with someone who was really kind.

"She was. It was a bit of a bumpy ride at first but...She has six months left here and she and I are now engaged."

"Oh wow. That is fantastic." Clara smiled, " Congratulations. How's your mum being with you?"

"She is very apologetic when it comes to dad. I'm over him now, but the tickets dad gave me...I will keep them as an heir loom, even though he-"

"I know, I know." Clara smiled, touching her finger. Maria smiled, "I have an apartment in a flat...A few doors down from where dad lived."

"Are you sure that's-" Clara started.

"I'm completely fine with it...I just hope that this isn't our last time as in last last time." Maria sighed.

Clara played with the ring on her finger and looked up at her, "The past is behind me now but...after today...Maria I'm sorry but after today I never want to see you again."

Maria frowned, "I'm sorry. What?"

Clara went quiet, "After today we all move on. That's why you're here and that is why your mum is outside. She has to suffer too. I killed your dad in cold blood because I couldn't cope anymore with the pressure. Your mum was mistakenly arrested."

"Why? Why would you kill him?" Maria snapped.

"I really hated him. He was demanding constantly."

"He isn't like that- he never was."

"Never to you, never in front of you."

"Auntie Clara what really happened?" Maria frowned.

Clara held back tears, "He tried to rape me and because he was weak already. I picked up his stick and I hit him. I kept hitting him until I knew the scum was dead." She snarled at the pretend scenario she was making in her head.

Maria held back tears, "No."

Sarah looked over and she hated the look that she saw on her fiance's face, "Excuse me a minute." She told her parents before going over to Maria, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah fine. Listen. I'll be fine. I will speak to you tomorrow." Maria said, holding back tears. She looked at Clara and she saw her staring at the floor holding back tears.

Sarah looked at them before kissing Maria's forehead, "You know where I am if you need me." Maria nodded slowly. Sarah then went back to her table.

"That is sick."Maria snarled, "He was petrified of death, so I don't see why he would use his last breaths to try and..." Maria turned away and shuddered.

"I'm so sorry Maria but it's true!" Clara gasped, holding back tears.

"No. No. Just stay away from me." Maria gasped, "I would rather remember him as a great dad." Maria walked over to the playroom and put her forehead against the jungle painted background before she collapsed in the corner in tears.

Clara couldn't believe the lie she had just told her and when it was time for her to go, she walked over to her and hugged her holding back tears, "I love you. You remember your dad how you remember him okay? And remember our memories." She gasped and kissed her forehead.

When prison officers came over, Maria stood up and hugged Clara tightly, "I won't leave you. Please don't say goodbye to me when it doesn't have to be. We could all work something out."

"I want to start my own life baby." She sighed and kept hold of her.

"We can keep in touch. Anything. Please."

"Our family is poison and that's why it has to be goodbye."

"There's no good in goodbye."

"I love you." Clara sighed before letting go of her. Just as Clara got to the gate, she turned back around, "Take care of my sister yeah? Take care of yourself." She then walked off, leaving Maria's heart broken. Maria walked out in tears and sat in the passenger seat beside her mum. Jasmine saw that she was hurting, so she put her hair behind her ear and hugged her tightly, "I know what you're feeling and maybe us all moving on is for the best yeah?" She sighed and hid her tears from Maria.


End file.
